Twenty-Four Hours
by crow3man
Summary: Midnight, Dusk, Midday, Dawn. New attendees at Beacon Academy, team GMMA (read "Gamma,") led by Gealach, is having a good start to the year. However, their studies are interrupted by a group calling themselves "The Brothers Grimm," a hidden organization with unknown intentions. First four chapters are character 'intros,' skip to chapter five for story. Cover art by Bushtuckapenguin
1. Moonlight

Moonlight

_A broken bone may heal, but the wound a word opens may fester forever._

A young man in a black simple suit walked out onto a stage with a grand piano on it. His black hair, actually long feathers, was tied back, just passing his shoulders. Silver streaks ran through the ebon mane. His piercing argent eyes scanned the crowd. The masses were none the wiser to his heritage. A scar ran across his face, from just above his left eyebrow to the right side corner of his jaw. He sat down at the piano bench, popping his knuckles individually. Taking a deep breath, the boy placed his fingers on the keys, and soon his dancing fingers created a melancholy tune that echoed throughout the hall. Soon getting into a familiar rhythm, he closed his eyes and let muscle memory finish for him. His attention fell to the past, a movie playing behind his eyes.

In his memory, he sat on a rock in the middle of a clearing in a forest. It was deep fall, indicated by the myriad shades of red to yellow leaves. The air was damp, and the moon shone brightly. The teen on the stone had his right hand on the hilt of a claymore, the tip planted in the ground. Celtic knots festooned the handle guard, pommel, and core of the blade. A trigger and button connected to mechanisms within the blade sat near the hilt. Shin guards meshed with deep blue pants and plated boots, planted firmly on the ground. A heavy, clawed gauntlet hid his left hand and forearm, his shoulder bearing a large pauldron. Wrapped around his hip was a silver sash. On his right, the armour was similar, but much thinner and lighter. No chestplate covered his black shirt, only the belt that held the claymore's sheath. His face was hidden by a full Grimm mask bearing black markings instead of red, with his familiar black hair streaked with silver bound into a tail reaching his shoulders behind.

The ground shook, and a pack of five Despots stormed the clearing. The tyrannosaurus like Grimm looked around, before seeing the teen on the stone. The lead Despot roared a challenge, and charged. The boy turned to acknowledge the Grimm, muttering, "You had to spoil a nice walk, didn't you?" It opened its jaws wide, biting down on the still figure. Before it's maw could properly shut, the Despot jerked to a stop. The boy inside it's mouth had dropped his blade, and held his hands out to the sides. The stench of rot permeated the Despot's mouth, gibbets of decaying flesh dangling from the serrated teeth.

_"Good grief, this is VILE." _Hot breath washed over the boy, carrying more of the stink and nearly making him sick. He quickly grabbed the Despot by it's upper teeth, and heaved upwards. The startled Grimm flipped onto it's back, top front teeth shattered. The boy retrieved his claymore, holding it with only his right hand. He lunged, grabbing the Depot's tail with his left hand, and began to spin. The monster dragged on the ground for a moment, until it picked up enough momentum to lift off the ground. The boy threw the Despot, launching it into the other four.

The reptilian Grimm stood still for a split-second, shocked.

Three Despots dodged, and rushed the boy. His right arm tensed, then swung the great blade with a single hand. The claymore glided through the air, slashing the lead Despot's left eyes. Blood splattered the ground, staining both grass and blade. The other two snapped at him, but the boy flipped out of harms way. He landed on one Despot's nose, and stabbed downwards. The Despot howled, it's mask cracking. The boy pulled a trigger on the hilt of his blade, causing it to split down the middle a third of the way down the blade. A hum could be heard, then a pulse resounded, and a crater appeared below the Grimm. The sword clicked back together. The teen drew his blade from the shattered bone mask, swinging his blade at the neck of the Despot. It's head fell off with a wet slap, but by this time the first Despot had gotten back on it's feet. It charged in with the fifth Despot, bringing the fight to four Grimm on one Human.

Beneath his mask, the boy grinned. "Just don't know when to give up, do you?" He reached up in front of him, grabbing a fist full of Grimm and twisted one eighty. He slammed the Despot on the ground, face first. A sharp crack resounded as bones broke under the enormous weight of the creature. Another Despot took a bite, so he rolled out of the way. The third tried to trample him, so he stabbed upwards. The Despot impaled it's foot on the keen edged blade. The boy yanked on his sword, neatly slicing the Despot's foot in half. Gore sputtered from the wound, and the air reeked of blood. Another lunged, closing the circle, so the teen continued his swing all the way around. When his flourish finished, the severed bottom jaw of the offending Grimm hit the ground with a _THUD_. It screeched, red flowing from the wound, so he took the opportunity to run under it and stab upwards, ending the monster. He pressed the button on the hilt of the sword, causing it to fold in on itself. When it was finished, the boy held a railgun in his hands. He whipped around, pulling the trigger. A whirring could be heard for a second, then another pulse rang out. A metal rod shaped like a crow was launched at the first Despot, the one that had it's eyes slashed. The metal sheared off half of the beast's mask, and some of it's face.

"You look better that way!"

The lead Despot howled, completely blind. It charged at where the pain came from, only to be perforated by another metal bar straight through it's brain. Gray matter was pulled out the other side by the steel projectile. The lead Despot fell over, dissolving into birds taking flight that soon dissipated. Only three Grimm remained, circling the warrior. They all lunged at once, and the boy leaped into the air. His railgun rang out, clipping the largest Despot of the three remaining. He pressed the same button on the handle of his railgun, and it shifted back to being a sword. The Despot he shot positioned itself below him, maw wide open. The boy flipped twice, raising his sword above him with two hands. He dropped,swinging his sword downwards and cutting the hungry monster in half. The two sides teetered for a moment, then fell outwards.

Two Grimm left.

The boy glanced over his shoulder, sizing up the two remaining Grimm. They began circling him, one on either side. The ground shook, yet neither the boy nor the Grimm noticed. He brandished his blade, held high, angled slightly down. The attack was sudden, but expected. One Grimm bit left, the other right. The teen stepped left and chopped sideways, breaking teeth. The Grimm howled, and the boy stepped in under it and slashed upwards. The Grimm's short, near useless arms fell severed. The warrior teen flourished again, gutting the Despot. It toppled, nearly crushing him had he not rolled out of the way. The final Despot charged, roaring. The teen ducked to the side, and swiped at the side of the Grimm's head. He was rewarded with a deep roar, and a set of teeth trying to crush him.

No room to swing his blade in time, the boy collapsed it back into a railgun and fired point blank. Shards of bone, spots of blood, and some intact teeth flew, and the teen found room to swing. He turned his weapon back into a sword, and delivered a horizontal slash. The front half of the Despot's head fell off, and the corpse fell sideways. The unique stench of Grimm faded, but did not go away entirely.

The warrior returned to his perch at the rock, and drew a flask out of his belt. He lifted his mask slightly, took a swig, then replaced it. The ground shook again, and again, consistently more violently. Startled, the boy turned around to watch an Alpha Despot break through the trees. The two stared at each other for a moment, before the Alpha Despot roared and charged.

"You are one big Grimm," he calmly commented. The boy readied his claymore, the blade catching the moonlight and focusing it. The reflected light blinded the Alpha for a moment, long enough for the boy to disappear from it's line of sight. Underneath the Alpha, the teen studied the hardened armour of his opponent. No obvious weaknesses showed themselves, so the warrior readied himself for a long fight. The Alpha Despot finally realized where the boy was, and tried to stomp on him. The boy dodged, then began to climb the Alpha's leg. It writhed, trying to throw the boy off. He hung on through sheer force of will, and made it on top of the Grimm.

The giant monster's weak point stood out like a sore thumb. At the base of it's helmet-like skull mask lay a crack, long and jagged. It finally shook off the warrior, throwing him in front of it. The Alpha Despot growled, deep and hungry for blood. The warrior held his blade steady in front of him, scanning for a way to pin the giant Grimm. The gargantuan monster gave him no breathing room. It stomped the ground, knocking him off balance and causing him to drop his sword. It jumped on the opportunity, biting down on the disarmed warrior. If the scent of decay was powerful in the other Despot, it was simply overwhelming in this one. He barely stopped it from cutting him in half with teeth the size of fenceposts, and pushed down. The Alpha Despot's face slammed into the ground, stunning it. The boy grabbed his sword and rolled out from under the colossal carnivore. "How's your head?" With the Grimm still stunned, the warrior took inventory of the area.

An old tree stood behind it, sturdy from many summers. The boy collapsed the massive sword into a railgun, and aimed at the tree. He fired, and the old oak groaned. The Alpha recovered, and charged the boy once more. It bit down at him, forcing him to dodge. He shifted his weapon back into a blade, striking the Alpha Despot's teeth. It roared in pain, recoiling slightly. Before he could shift the weapon, the Alpha Despot attacked again. It attempted to bull him over, which he danced around. The attack clipped his leg however, sending him spinning. The Despot turned to bite again, and the boy rolled out of range. The Grimm attacked again, but overshot the boy. The boy shifted his weapon back to a gun.

Another shot, and the tree was leaning. The Despot saw what the boy was trying, and wared away from the tree. The warrior returned his railgun to blade form, and charged. Despite his pronounced limp, the warrior was fast. Catching the Grimm slightly off guard, he managed to chip it's armour around the knees slightly before it recovered. A rank howl split the air. The Despot stomped, pinning the boy. His claymore was launched from his grip, falling well out of reach. He barely got his arms out in time, straining to hold up the weight of the massive Grimm. "Not... today," he grunted. Sweat rolled off his brow as the monster hissed, releasing more fetid breath. Fire burned in the warrior's eyes, aura depleting rapidly. Putting a huge amount of said enigmatic power behind his next move, the boy pushed up. Slowly at first, the teen shifted the balance. Roaring in defiance, he stood as he pushed, launching the Alpha Despot.

As the massive Grimm stood, the boy ran and picked up his blade. Seeing this, the Despot stood as quickly as it could and lumbered over to try and take a chunk out of the fighter. It snapped at him, just missing a foot as he tucked and rolled. Snatching up his sword, the warrior teen spun around. The Grimm was well out of reach, crouched and ready to spring. Fortunately for the claymore wielder, it had forgotten about the tree in the heat of the moment. He quickly pressed the button, taking aim as the huge sword rebuilt itself. "Sucker," he whispered as he took aim. The railgun began to hum as it charged the next shot.

A third pulse, and the tree fell. The Alpha turned to see what was happening, stopped by being hit in the face with a high speed metal rod. It turned to growl, then yelped as the tree fell, holding it to the ground. The teen jumped on the Grimm's back, and began to fire at the crack. It widened after two shots, then split after three, creating a gap. Switched back to being a sword, the claymore was driven through the crack, through skin, through bone, and through the other side of the Alpha's head. The massive Despot struggled for another few seconds, before subcuuming to the fatal wound.

The warrior yanked his sword free of the evaporating carcass, and surveyed the area. He sheathed his sword, and walked away from the clearing.

The memory fading to the back of his mind, the boy finished his song, and stood. He turned to face the crowd, placing his left hand on his chest and politely bowing. Respectful applause rang out, and the boy turned to walk off stage. On the other side of the curtains stood a young woman with a scar over her left eye, dressed in all white, with her alabaster hair in an off-center ponytail. The two nodded at each other kindly, the boy whispering "Good luck," before the girl took her turn on stage.

Soon after she stepped out on the stage, a gentle tune flowed throughout the hall. Singing followed. "Mirror... Tell me something..."

**Thanks for reading, this is much harder than I expected. Had the most trouble with the Alpha Despot fight, ended it too cleanly a couple times. Easiest part? Describing the boy who was fighting these things. Don't forget to leave a review if you have any suggestions to improve the writing, it is much appreciated. Until next time.**


	2. Nightfall

Nightfall

_Greed is a bottomless pit which exhausts the person in an endless effort to satisfy the need without ever reaching satisfaction._

The moon was just creeping up over the horizon. A boy with deep indigo hair and mischievous orange eyes walked down the street, hands in his pockets. His shoes made no sound, and his black pants and grey long sleeve blended with the dark. A black bandanna around his arm held a rising moon emblem, as did a small backpack. A small silver tube lay clipped to the bag._  
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He felt a knife poking his lower back, a gruff voice ordering, "Into the alley. Now."

The teen complied, glancing over his shoulder.

"Hands up, and head forward."

The boy slowly raised his hands, a cold sweat running down the side of his head.

"Good, now stay still." He heard the man pacing up behind him slowly. The smell of sweat was thick now, and getting worse. The boy waited until he was within arm's reach of his attacker, before spinning and sweeping his assailants feet out from under them. His attacker let out a strangled yelp, before hitting the ground roughly and shouting, "Got a fighter here!" Not a minute passed after said that a large gang arrived.

"Oh goodie! More people to play with," the boy called out sarcastically. He pulled the cylinder on his bag off and pressed a button, causing it to telescope into a six foot long spear, one edge serrated. He slammed the butt of the spear into the ground pulling a trigger at the same time. He fired a shot into the ground, pushing up into a pole vault onto a nearby rooftop.

The gang followed, swarming up the two ladders. He swung the spear, knocking a few off of the ladder, but the majority made it up. They began to surround him, trying to trap the elusive trickster. He spun the polearm, tripping the closest attackers, before slamming the flat of the blade down on closest the thug charging him, knocking him out cold.

"What the hell is this?"

The man who tried to mug him climbed on the roof, shocked at what he saw. The teen stabbed and slashed, knocking out whoever got to close. Five ruffians tried to jump the boy at once, but he slammed the spear into the ground and vaulted again. He fired the weapon once more, getting additional lift from the recoil. Pressing another button on the handle, the spear became a bayoneted rifle.

He twisted mid-air, pointing his feet down. The boy shot straight down, hitting the tallest gang member. Smoke rolled out of the barrel in a wispy cloud, and gunpowder mingled with other scents. He landed on one thief's head, and began to run on the thugs heads all the while firing and stabbing into the crowd to avoid being grabbed. Reaching the edge of the swarm, he jumped off and rolled to his feet. He leaped over to another roof. The gang made to follow, but any who made the jump where knocked off the roof by the boy's spinning spear.

One particularly large thug with with a buzz cut climbed onto the roof. Dodging the incoming sweep, grim laughter slipped out of his mouth. He wore a leather jacket and blue jeans, with steel-toed boots. His fingers were tattooed, spelling "HATE," and "PAIN." He rolled onto his feet, uppercutting the spear wielder in the process. The boy staggered back, recovering only to get slugged with a hard left hook. The brawler grabbed the teen's collar with his left hand, and began to pummel his face with his right. The teen struggled, but could not defend himself.

"Ow- ow- ow- OW- Ho- ly- fuck- that- hurts-" he stammered out between punches. The thug kept up his relentless assault, failing to notice the boy's icy grin. Suddenly, the brawler got extremely cold. The boy's eyes changed colour, from orange to frosty blue. The area around him began to cool rapidly. The thug shivered, shook himself, and went to resume. His face was met by the butt end of the spear. _BANG!_ Stunned, the heavy man released the boy. The spearman turned the spear into a rifle, and fired again. The large thug was sent careening over the edge as the boy's gun telescoped into a spear again.

The boy started to laugh, and the area returned to a normal temperature. He shouldered his spear, the base planted firmly on the ground.

The first mugger climbed up onto the roof the teen stood on, glowering. "Do you know who you're messing with here, boy?"

The teen shook his head, and leveled his spear.

"We're only the biggest gang in this district. I suggest dropping your valuables and running before the boss hears of this," the mugger gloated.

His smug smile was erased by the feeling of a sharp point slamming into his gut. The boy had thrown his spear, fire the rifle to add momentum. The lead thief got launched across the alley, hanging by his shirt from the spear, which was embedded in the wall. The gang became confident after the boy threw the spear, but gave that up when the first to jump across was frozen mid-air. The boy leaped the gap, grinning mischievously as he removed the spear.

The sound of a car door slamming caught everyone's attention. A hulking mass of muscles stepped out of a car, nearly tearing the door off as he did. His reflective sunglasses hid any trace of eyes, but his mouth was twisted into a snarl. He had a goatee, and wore a vest, biker pants, and boots with spikes on the end. He looked at the mugger, who had fallen down.

"What is the meaning of this," he growled in a gravelly voice. "You incompetent fools can't even steal from one teenage boy?" He looked up at the teen, an evil grin plastered on his face when he saw the spear. "Now that's a prize!" With that, he vaulted up onto an empty rooftop.

The boy felt guns at his back, so he shrugged and pole vaulted over.

"This is gonna be fun," the massive man rumbled with glee. "Now I can show those piss-poor excuse for subordinates how to beat the ever-loving shit out of someone!"

"That's real cute big guy," the teen taunted.

The gang leader pulled on a set of brass knuckles, with spikes rather than the standard rounded points. He swung a right hook at the teen, who rolled under the attack. He swept the gang leader's feet out from under him with a slash of the spear.

"Say, I never got your name," he continued not really expecting a response. The monster of a man rolled to his feet.

"Seeing as you're about to be in a world of hurt," the gang leader growled, "I'm Hunter. Mind telling yours?"

"Why should I?"

"Because it's nice to know who you just robbed."

"Thats... strange logic. Name's Abden. Abden Dammarung."

Hunter swung a haymaker, glancing off of Abden's skull. The boy reeled, stunned. Hunter tripped him and performed a dropping elbow towards his face. Abden recovered in time to avoid the attack, rolling just off to the side. Hunter rolled over top of the teen, straddling his ribcage. Pulling his right arm back, he clenched a fist. Hunter sent the piston-like arm down, hitting the boy below him in the face. Abden could taste something coppery dribbling into his mouth. He began to pound the teen into the roof.

The temperature began to drop steadily. The gang was huddled together, wrapping their arms around themselves in a desperate attempt to keep warm. Hunter was shivering, and his attacks slowed considerably. His lips and fingers started turning blue.

Abden's eyes turn icy blue. The boy pulled his knees up to his chest, knocking Hunter up slightly. He then kicked out, sending Hunter flying across the roof.

Hunter landed roughly, slowly recovering from his sudden chill.

The teen stood up, leaning on his staff as he tried not to faint. Bruises started to form on his face, but nothing could diminish his grin. The silver spear in his hand began to glow blue. Spiderwebs of frost coated the metal, so cold mist rolled off of it. Lifting it off the ground shakily, Abden aimed at the street lord.

He threw it at Hunter, firing the rifle as he did. The spear flew towards Hunter, slamming him to the ground and freezing him in place. The boy limped over, pulling his spear out of the ground. Hunter struggled, and eventually freed himself from the ice, so frigid he couldn't even shiver. His arms were numb, his legs couldn't support him. The hulking slab of meat fell flat on his face, breathing slowly.

The teen readied his spear, slamming the butt of the spear into Hunter's temple, knocking him out instantly.

Abden went through Hunter's pockets, taking some Lien but nothing else. He pressed a button, and the spear collapsed back into a silver tube. Clipping it to his backpack, the boy jumped off the roof landed roughly, stumbling off to the right and nearly falling over. His face stung with the bruises and a split lip, but that couldn't diminish his cheeky smile. He walked towards the brighter part of town, humming idly as he did. "Now THAT was fun!"

**That was a fun chapter to write! Kinda struggled with the fight against Hunter, but who said this had to be easy? Quite enjoyed the spear, and finding a good quote to start the chapter. Quote is by Erich Fromm. Until next time.**


	3. Sunrise

Sunrise

_The rose and the thorn, and sorrow and gladness are linked together._

Sunlight poured over the horizon, lighting up the sea and shore, though the star itself had yet to be seen. Morgun Sar leaned against a railing, her messy shoulder length golden hair blowing in the breeze. Vibrant green eyes scanned her surroundings, passing up no detail. Her small bust was hidden under a simple light blue shirt, with a cuirass and matching pauldrons accented by painted-on drawn bows. A metal plated skirt went down to just above her knees, with mid calf armoured boots. A metal bracer adorned her right arm. She held a double bladed war axe with a handle four feet long, propping it up against her shoulder. A horned helmet was tucked under her left arm, balanced in the crook of her elbow. A wave crashed against the shore, salt spraying through the air. Fuzzy, rounded ears twitched as the wind picked up, catching a drifting conversation.

While she couldn't pick out any fine details, a group of men seemed to be talking about a hunting trip. Curious, Morgun made her way over, close enough to see what the two looked like. Two men stood on a dock, chatting idly. Both had crew cut light brown hair, but the similarities ended there. One wore a white jacket over a dark green shirt, with white pants and shoes. He had wide, reflective sunglasses and a clean shaven face. The other man was as round as he was tall, in a pair of black pants with suspenders straining to hold them on. His bright redshirt was tucked into his pants,the buttons nearly popping off and sleeves rolled up to the elbow.. He wore black leather boots, and had a symbol of a Grimm Mask tattooed onto his left forearm. Morgun scoffed at the sight of the two, disgusted that such well-to-do men were planning a hunting trip.

Neither man heard her. They turned, leaving for a carriage at the edge of the docks. Trailing quietly, Morgun had no problem keeping up. She saw another carriage, this one holding somewhat less important looking men and an assortment of blades, bows, arrows, rifles, and bullets. Ducking behind a building, Morgan evaded detection by the second horse drawn posh-people cart. The two wooden vehicles rolled past, bouncing on the occasional rock.

Morgun put on her helmet, waited half an hour, then followed.

The ruts in the track were easy enough to follow, and within the hour she had sight of the cars. They were in a green seaside forest, relatively free of Grimm. A sentry kept watch from the roof of the black carriage, wielding a wicked longbow. He wore a black steel breastplate over a red wool shirt, a Grimm mask branded into the metal. A pair of lightly armoured pants slipped over well worn boots, and a sword lay strapped to his hip. His gaze swept around the carriages dutifully.

Morgun didn't duck in time, and the man on the roof saw her. He yelled into the carriage, and the vehicle picked up speed. As they fled, the sentry drew his bow and fired. The arrow flew straight and true, speeding towards Morgun. Her axe flashed through the air, splitting the arrow down the middle. The sentry seemed shocked, and did not fire a second arrow. The carts rounded a corner, vanishing from sight. Morgun cursed under her breath, following. What she saw next almost surprised her. Almost.

The carriages lay tipped on their sides, the nine passengers picking themselves up from the dusty road. Weapons were scattered around, enough for each person to have one of each. Glancing towards the first carriage, she saw the fat man being pushed onto his feet by his associate. Shouting could be heard, and the drivers hung their heads in shame. A fire began to burn in Morgan's chest as she walked to the crew, shouldering her axe. "You don't even need to hunt," she growled, pointing her axe at the mountain of a man. "So why do it? Forgive me, where are my manners?" She bowed lightly, quickly returning to her steady stance. "My name is Morgun. Now if you could kindly leave my woods, we'll get along fine."

Finally back on his feet, the man in black and red laughed heartily. "Your woods, eh?" He gestured at the now armed nobles in front of him, crowing, "We hunt because we can sweetheart! Tell you what, spend the night and I'll forget this even happened!" He was roaring with laughter now, doubled over and clutching his sides. As best he could, anyways.

Morgun's passive face twisted into a snarl. "Spend the night?" She chuckled, growling, "I'll consider it when you drop five hundred." The nobles stared incredulously at the random girl who dared insult their boss. The fat man sobered up at her words, glaring daggers now. "Oh, did I hit a nerve?" The massive man shouted, ordering the armed nobles to charge at Morgun. "Yer in fer it now," she grumbled, dropping into a battle stance, axe held balanced between her hands. The lead nobles jumped at her, weapons raised. "Three on one? Make it four and this might be a fair fight!" Morgun swung her axe back, parallel to the ground, then slashed, catching each "hunter" in the chest. The group flew sideways, landing in a heap. The rest surrounded her, weapons level with her chest. "Now THIS is more like it!"

Morgun dropped her axe in an arc in front of her, smashing the man directly in front of her. He fell into a crumpled pile, tripping a comrade who was charging. Morgun took the golden opportunity to redirect the momentum, swinging her axe diagonally upward and catching the second man, throwing him by his chin. He slammed into a tree, and hit the ground dazed. The other four were more wary, attacking her blind sides. Eventually, Morgun got fed up with this. With a fierce battle cry, the war axe bearer held said weapon by the very end of the handle with both hands, spinning. The four nobles jumped back, but only one escaped the whirring axe tornado. The other three were launched, cuts along their chests and stomachs. None very deep, but long. The last noble let out his own battle cry, charging the now dizzy Morgun.

Morgun stumbled, accidentally dodging the phony warrior. Landing flat on her face brought back her sense of balance however. Rolling away from the next attack, Morgun rolled backwards onto her feet. The noble swung wildly, his blade meeting nothing but air. Morgun looked around for her axe, forgetting it was right beside her. She smacked her head when she saw this, picking her axe up simultaneously. The man in white watched the fight carefully, assessing the girl. Morgun swung wide, creating an opening. The noble stabbed, only to feel a fist in his ribs. Morgun extended her arm, laughing as the final man went flying.

Slow clapping resounded behind her. "Well done, well done," the man in white chuckled. "Who would have thought that there existed such a woman? Few men dare to speak in our presence, yet you not only insult our members, you destroy them in combat too!" Morgun growled, the sound coming deep from her throat. The man in white smelled strongly of wine and tobacco, though his balance and voice remained unaffected. "I'm afraid that your little game has to end here, however. I will be your next opponent." With that, the man reached into his coat and drew a long pistol with a blade along the barrel.

Morgun smirked, sizing up her enemy. He held himself comfortably, seemingly unused to combat. The bear faunus roared a mighty roar, swinging her axe as she charged. The man in white let out a yawn, casually blocking the axe with the blade of his pistol. Morgun growled, pulling her weapon back and unleashing a flurry of hacks and slashes. The man in the white suit blocked each attack almost nonchalantly. He suddenly pulled back, stabbing with unexpected speed. Morgan felt her aura take the hit, staggering slightly. She swiped again, and the man simply ducked under the blade. He slashed at her legs, drawing some blood. Morgan gritted her teeth, leaping out of reach.

Pressing a button, the axe shifted. The blades folded together to make a stock, and the handle separated into twin barrels. A hammer appeared by the stock, and Morgun cocked her axe-turned-double-barreled shotgun. Pulling the trigger, both tubes fired at the man. He blocked one, but the other shot made it through. Staggering, the man glared at Morgun, who flashed a grin as she reloaded her shotgun. The man fired his pistol, but Morgun rolled out of the way. The man ran in, slashing with his gunblade. Steel met steel long before the sharp edge of the barrel met flesh. Morgun had pressed another button, turning her shotgun into a sword. The blades of the axe overlapped on one side of the handle, forming a thick, wavy blade.

The man was even more shocked. His poker face faltered for a moment, replaced by surprise and fear. Regaining his composition, he studied the blade. Or would have, if it wasn't trying to find every way to destroy his suit. Rips and tears ran their merry way through the fine white fabric, turning a pristine suit into a tattered mess. Backing away quickly, the man discarded his jacket, readying his gun once more. Morgun didn't give him the opportunity. She turned her weapon back into a shotgun, firing point-blank. The man was thrown over backwards, holes in his green undershirt.

He backed away, terror in his eyes. "How?! How is this possible?! I read you like a book, how did you beat me?!"

"Looks like you forgot to read between the lines."

Morgun swung her shotgun back, turning it back into an axe as she did. The man lay whimpering on the ground as Morgun's axe sped towards him, Morgun herself roaring as she swung the weapon like a golf club. Blades met ribs, and with a sickening crack, the man in the white suit was sent flying out to sea. A Grimm Leviathan surfaced momentarily, mouth open. As quickly as it appeared, it disappeared back into the depths. Morgun failed to notice the event, instead searching for the fat man in red. She did not see him, only horse tracks leading back the way they came from. Morgun smiled to herself as she left the beaten trail, humming in tune with the bird song.

**Hello again! Third chapter, third character, second faunus. Found it rather amusing that I made a bear faunus a morning person, but that could just be me. Felt rather evil when mister White Tux got launched into the deep. I did not like that character, which means I made him right… kinda? Anyway, reviews are appreciated. Thanks for reading all! Until next time.**


	4. Midday

Midday

_The supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting_

The harsh noontime sun beat down on the coliseum, raising the dusty floor to a searing temperature. In the heated, dry arena, no wind blew. The imposing stone walls held back the wind, and penned in combatants forcing a fight to the death.

At the moment, a fight between a captive Grimm and a young warrior was taking place. The fighters in question were a Beowolf, and a girl with flowing pink hair that reached to the small of her back. She wore deep blue shorts and shirt, a white chiton fastened with a bronze dome bearing a half-lidded eye insignia, sandals, leather bracers, and a laurel wreath. On her left arm was a round bronze shield, with runes around the rim. In her right hand was a bronze short sword, with a button and trigger identifying it as a dual function weapon.

The girl spun on one foot, raising her sword in an arc. Her shield slammed into the side of the Beowolf's head, stunning it. Her sword glided up in a graceful arc, decapitating the Grimm in one stroke. The headless corpse toppled forward, smoking as it hit the ground. The girl stood up, and sheathed her sword.

A voice boomed throughout the massive arena, coming from hidden speakers. "She's done it again! Meri Mesi, the girl without brakes! Please, give her a round of applause!"

The crowd cheered, clapped, and whistled. Soon, they were chanting her name. Meri felt a smile tugging at the corner of her mouth.

The announcer hushed the crowd, stating, "If our most successful contestant feels confident, perhaps she is ready to move onto the next round? If she agrees, we will take a half hour break that she may recover from this MOST fierce fighting!" Directing his attention to Meri, he boomed, "Do you accept the challenge, and progress to the next round for greater glory?"

Her response was loud, and it was clear. "I accept the challenge, and will progress to win greater glory!" Meri sheathed her blade and placed her shield on her back. She turned on her heel, walking out from under the hellish sun.

In the shade of the waiting room sat a pitcher of water, and a fine meal on a plate. She downed the food and water carefully, but quickly. With eight minutes left before she was called out again, the sakura haired girl stretched. When the klaxon sounded to summon her back to the arena, Meri was loose and limber. She put her shield back on her arm.

"Alright, what'cha got for me this time?"

The portcullis on the far side of the barren circle shuddered, and with a loud screech, slowly began to lift off the ground.

Twelve beady red eyes glared out from the darkness, and the crunch of sand under many feet could be heard. A thirty meter long, segmented, centipede-like Grimm crawled out of the tunnel. "And here, we have our undefeated champion facing off against the undefeated Grimm, the Rista!"

Meri pulled her sword out of it's sheath, calmly observing the Grimm. It had bony plates running all down it's back, and the massive mandibles at it's mouth looked sharp enough to cut rock. Each of it's sixty legs ended in a barbed, spearlike point. It lacked armour below, but was stable enough and low enough to the ground for that to not matter. The only other weak point seemed to be it's mouth, though getting close was about as bad an idea as it gets.

Meri's vision turned blurry, and she saw herself getting cut in half by the Rista. Her sight returned to normal, and Meri rolled to the left to dodge. She felt a rush of air above her as the razor-edged jaws slammed together where she had stood mere moments before. Meri slashed upwards, and her blade bounced off the tough shell. The Grimm coiled around her, trying to cut off and escape plans. Meri jumped on the Rista's back, firmly planting her shield between shell segments. The massive centipede thrashed about, trying to dislodge the pain in it's back. _"What to do, what to do?" _The distinct lack of apparent weakness was concerning.

The Rista twisted around, trying to bite at Meri a second time. Again, she saw her imminent death and twisted deftly out of harm's reach. One long, hooked tooth got caught in the plating on the Rista's back, holding it in place. Meri ran up to it's head, hacking and bashing at the eyes. The fiend lost four eyes on the right side of it's head before it dislodged it's tooth, knocking Meri away in the process.

She landed on her back, plowing through sand on impact. Rolling to her feet, Meri just barely dodged another bite. Wisps of hair floated down before her. The Rista reared back, hissing aggressively.

"Yeah, I don't really like you either."

The Rista lunged forward, barely missing and disappearing into the ground. Sand visibly bulged above the tunneling Grimm, creating a circle around Meri. The bulge stopped, then abruptly appeared below Meri. She rolled off to the side as pincers snapped shut where she once stood.

The centipede Grimm crawled out of the sand, dripping saliva. The sand hissed where the Rista's spit hit. Steam rose, acrid and hazy. Meri made a mental note of avoiding being below the Grimm's mouth at all costs. The Rista reared back again, then snapped forward, mouth wide open. A glob of acidic saliva arced towards the gladiator.

Meri ducked to the side, only to find herself in between the hungry mandibles of the Rista. As they snapped shut, she pushed her arms out in a defensive stance. _CLANG! _Bone met metal with a resounding clash. The Rista attempted to push itself overtop of Meri, but she would have none of that. The pink haired girl ducked instead. A sickening crack echoed above her, and the Rista chittered in agony. The front half of a mandible fell down, evaporating, while the other half hung loosely.

Meri pressed the button on her sword, causing it to transform. The blade folded down the centerline, sharp edge facing up. It then split in the middle, revealing a short barrel as the front half of the blade dropped to form the secondary handle. The handle guard shifted, becoming a clip and handle. The magazine ejected, and Meri loaded a new one in and cocked the weapon.

The Rista dropped back onto all of it's feet, glaring daggers at Meri. It scurried over with jaws open wide.

Meri fired into the gaping maw with abandon. Recoil caused her aim to falter, and bullets ricocheted off of the bony exoskeleton. The Rista was upon her as she was changing magazines, hissing and spitting. Meri saw the attack before it happened, and ducked under the snapping mandibles. Rolling back, she loaded one of many Dust cartridges.

Fire blossomed all over the Rista, smothering it for a few seconds. The crowd roared their approval, and the announcer was stuttering. Before anyone could truly react, the smoke faded away, revealing the massive centipede. Not a single burn graced it's shell, nor any scars. The fiend whipped it's head around to look at Meri. It sprinted over to her, twice as fast as before. Startled, Meri's prevision barely saved her from being trampled.

Switching clips again, Meri fired on the Rista once more. Lighting flared along the Grimm's back. No effect at all this time. Dodging attack after attack, Meri tried each type of Dust she possessed. No results for any of them.

Meri was worn out, breathing heavily. Only one type of Dust lay unused. Slipping a clip into her gun, she took careful aim at the swift moving Grimm. Ice coated it's outside. The Rista hissed, and slowed down considerably. Meri, rejuvenated by the discovery of a weakness, pressed the attack. She fired a hail of frozen bullets, trapping the Rista to the spot.

The Grimm lunged, trying vainly to cut Meri in half. Sidestepping the attack, she froze it's mandibles together and to the ground. The Rista jerked and flexed to escape the ice. Meri carefully approached the thrashing insect, studying it's shell, drinking in every detail. She shifted her weapon back into it's sword form, and slipped the tip in between two segments. She put both hands on the hilt, and pushed.

The bone armour broke cleanly. Pulsing ebon muscles lay exposed, and Meri hacked away at them. The Ice was beginning to thaw, allowing the Rista greater range to thrash about. Meri quickly dug in through the muscle wall, and destroyed several organs. The Grimm hissed and writhed, squirming from the pain, but stood no chance. It quickly began to evaporate as the crowd stared in awe.

The announcer recovered first, his voice shaky. "L-ladies and gentlemen! After many, many l-long years, w-we finally have found a truly great w-warrior! Meri Mesi h-has defeated the thus far u-unbeaten Grimm, the R-R-Ristaaaaaaaa!" The crowd exploded with cheers. "Of c-course, if the challenger so wishes, she may move onto the next round!" The crowd fell silent, waiting anxiously to hear Meri's answer.

"I do not accept."

The crowd erupted again, this time with outrage. Meri held up a hand, and they silenced once more.

"This has been truly gratifying, and I do not wish to leave so soon. However, after the Rista, I have become aware of my own weariness. I lack the endurance, and the skill, to progress. Should I return, you can expect me to continue past this point. Thank you all!"

The crowd cheered, thank yous and whistled ringing out like instruments in a great orchestra. Meri strapped her shield to her back, and sheathed her sword. The successful gladiator left the arena, escaping the harsh midday desert sun.

**So, what do you think of team GMMA? I had fun making these intro chapters, hope they were fun to read. The Rista was a unique Grimm to make and place in a fight, but I think it turned out well. Had trouble describing how the short sword collapsed into an SMG, but it seemed to work well. Quote is by Sun Tzu. Until next time.**


	5. Chapter 1: Airships and Giant Schools

Chapter 1: Airships and Giant Schools

Ebony feathers, a single silver streak at the front, rustled behind a full faced Grimm mask with black markings. Gealach strode down a street in Vale, letting the wind run through his oily feathers. A large rounded pauldron adorned his left shoulder, complemented by a thick claw-like glove. A smaller pauldron covered his right shoulder, meshing with an elbow length fingerless armoured glove. Knee length shin guards overlapped plated boots, all his armour over a simple black t-shirt and deep blue pants. A silver sash wrapped around Gealach's waist, tied off on the right side. His armour made little noise as he walked, occasionally clinking against his Magnetic Accelerator Cannon Claymore, Mhean Oiche. He held a duffle bag in his right hand, slung casually over his shoulder.

Gealach returned to the Airship docks. It had been three weeks since he had received a letter confirming his acceptance into Beacon Academy. The envelope sat in his pouch. The eight o'clock morning airship ride to Beacon would be setting off soon. Few people were out at this hour, so the streets were peaceful. The airship itself was also mostly empty, with a few early risers such as Gealach headed off to Beacon to get a head start on mapping out the school.

Gealach gazed out a window, the sprawling city below him far more elegant than on ground level. The airship docked at Beacon within an hour. The warrior raven disembarked, his duffle bag filled with necessities in hand.

He scanned the outward architecture of Beacon with an appraising eye, his mouth twisting into a grin at the thought of the inside. He was not disappointed. Upon entry, the vaulted ceiling towered above, held up columned walls. Numerous hallways branched off, and the floor held a stunning mosaic.

"_First things first," _he thought. Gealach found his way to the bathroom and did his business. As he washed his hands, he looked into the mirror. After checking to make sure no one was nearby, Gealach reached up and took the mask off. Below was an angular face, with deep, mercury eyes and a long scar. The tear in his otherwise clear complexion ran from just over his right eyebrow to just below the eye, then took a turn as it continued over to the corner of the left side of his jaw.

Footsteps rang clear in the hall coming his way. Gealach left the bathroom quickly, still putting the mask back on. The other student stared for a moment, but said nothing. Gealach walked away silently.

Several hours passed without incident as Gealach explored the academy. Often he found himself drawn to the cliff overlooking the Emerald Forest, just staring out at the seemingly tranquil woods. at eleven, the third airship that morning docked. Gealach made his way over, as before, to observe the new arrivals. The two that stood out to him were a girl wearing a red cloak, and a girl in all white. A jolt ran up Gealach's spine when he looked at the latter.

Gealach blinked a few times, and tapped his mask for good measure. _"White hair, white bolero with red interior, white dress… Can't be her, right? What's Weiss doing here?" _ The red girl seemed to have tripped, knocking over Weiss's luggage. Weiss, in response, was chewing her out while waving a vial of red dust around. _"Uh oh…"_

The girl in red sneezed, causing an explosion on Weiss. Gealach cringed. Weiss was furious now, but was cut short by the red girl's angry apologies. A girl with a black bow in her hair stepped in, and listed just about everything wrong with the Schnee dust company. The black haired girl and Weiss went their separate ways. The red girl was left behind.

She collapsed on the ground, staring up at the sky. A blond boy helped her up. The two chatted, showing off their weapons. Gealach was mildly surprised by the scythe. He was more interested in why the blonde boy had a simple sword. A sword that was nothing more than a sword. They left, so Gealach returned to the cliffside.

An announcement blared over the speakers. _"Would all first year students please make their way to the auditorium. Thank you."_

Gealach shrugged, and joined the crowds headed towards the auditorium. On the way, he was joined by a boy with indigo hair, crafty orange eyes, a grey shirt and black pants. A silver rod hung from his backback, which had a rising moon on it.

"Hey there! You look lonely," he piped. "I'm Abden Dammarung. What's your name?"

"Gealach Solas."

"Nice to meet you! I was sooo excited when I got accepted into Beacon. Were you excited? There's just so many people! And possiblities. And so many other things-" Abden kept rambling all the way to the auditorium. "Don't talk much, do you?"

Gealach didn't even need to talk. Abden was filling in that niche just fine. Suddenly the indigo haired boy stopped. Gealach turned, cocking an eyebrow. He followed Abden's stare to a girl in a toga and sandals, with long sakura hair. Abden stood slack jawed, and managed only two words. "Pretty girl." With that, he hit the ground face first.

The girl saw this happen, and immediately ran over to help. She knelt down next to Abden, asking if he was okay, checking his pulse, everything. Abden looked blissful.

"Hey there." The girl visibly relaxed after hearing him speak. "Name's Abden. What may I call you, beautiful?" The girl blushed profusely.

"I'm Meri. Meri Mesi." Abden chuckled.

"That's a beautiful name, just like you."

By this point Gealach was fed up with the flirt and left. When he reached the room, he immediately made his way over to a corner. On the stage stood Professor Ozpin and Glynda Goodwitch. The headmaster of Beacon went through his whole speech, while Gealach observed the crowd. They gave Ozpin their undivided attention, so Gealach did the same. When the speech ended, Gealach went back to the cliffside.

There he saw a girl in a cuirass, pauldrons, and an armoured skirt. Her axe lay folded up, hanging from her shoulder. A horned helmet was discarded on the grass. Messy blonde hair brushed her shoulders. What really caught Gealach's attention here was the round ears poking out above the golden mane. She sat with her legs dangling over the edge, watching the sun set, oblivious to the teen behind her.

Gealach sat down beside her, startling the girl out of her reverie. "Wha- who- where?" Gealach raised a finger, shushing her, and turned to face the setting sun. The girl got her thoughts back in order. "So, why'd you sit down next to me? There's an entire cliff here." She bit off the last part.

Gealach shrugged as he answered. "Thought that a faunus would enjoy the company of another faunus. I guess I'll take my leave then." As he stood up, a hand grabbed his lightly armoured wrist. He looked down at the girl.

"Thanks," she said. "Name's Morgun Sar. I'm a bear faunus. Yourself?"

"Gealach Solas, raven."

"Pleased to meet'cha."

"Likewise."

The two sat in comfortable silence until the sun was long since down, and the moon was nearing the halfway point in it's arc. Gealach was the first to stand, stretching as he did. "Probably would be best if we went to sleep," he commented. "It's almost midnight." Morgun agreed. Gealach offered his hand to help her stand up, which she took. He pulled her up with little effort.

The two faunus went to the collective sleeping arrangement, and found a good spot away from the main cluster. Gealach reached into his duffle bag, pulling out a simple sleeping roll. He set it up and passed out almost immediately without even taking his armour off.

Morgun lingered a bit longer in the waking world. She looked at the sleeping, still armoured boy that had shown her kindness earlier that day for no reason at all. Shrugging, she too set up her sleeping arrangement. She changed into her nightwear, a long t-shirt and underwear, and crawled into her sleeping bag. Slumber came slowly to her.

Gealach's dreams that night were strange. He saw himself talking to Wiess, in his suit. The suit was black, with a white shirt underneath and a silver tie. He wasn't wearing the mask, which was normal in his formal attire. The scene was constantly shifting. First, they were in the White Castle. Then, they were at the Coliseum. After that, they were at Beacon. Then the Emerald Forest. The dream went through every place Gealach had talked to Wiess. The feeling of something close to his face snapped Gealach out of his dream.

Morning was bright, and Morgun was the first up. She stretched and yawned. Changing into her combat attire again, she looked over at Gealach. His mask lay slightly askew, revealing the bottom of a scar running towards the corner of his left jaw.

She reached out, and just about grabbed the mask. A massive gauntleted hand caught her wrist, while the other readjusted the mask. Gealach silently shook his head. He released Morgun's wrist, and stood. He packed his sleeping roll and left the hall silently. Morgun followed soon after.

"The mask stays, okay?"

"Okay, fine mister mysterious."

Gealach ignored the jab, only watching the sun as it climbed through the sky. His mask filtered some of the glare for him, meaning it wasn't totally blinding. Morgun stared at the forest below, and both were oblivious to the approach of Ozpin and Glynda.

"Good morning, children," Ozpin greeted as he joined them by the cliffside. "Quite the view, isn't it?" Gealach nodded his agreement, and Morgun made an offhand comment about the forest. "Today will certainly be an interesting day," Ozpin chuckled. He added under his breath, "For all the first years."

**I hope that the characters left an accurate impression. More importantly, three episodes worth in one chapter? Seems like a good idea to me, the start of the series felt way too long. Straight into the action here! Let the killing of Grimm commence! I had a hard time with this chapter, due to the fact that I have little experience with writing anything other than fights. Until next time.**


	6. Chapter 2: Solid Foundations

Chapter 2: Solid Foundations

The loudspeakers blared throughout Beacon. **_"Would all first year students please make their way to the north cliff."_**

Gealach shrugged, already there with Morgun, Ozpin, and Goodwitch. He stared out over the forest. The great green expanse stretched all the way to the horizon, dotted by the occasional clearing. A crystalline river carved it's way through the deep green. The temple was hidden from sight.

The entire first year student body was there within twenty minutes. Ozpin made his second speech, and soon the students were lined up on the launch plates. Gealach looked down the line. Abden was to his right, near to the blond boy. Morgun was right beside Gealach, while Meri stood halfway down the line opposite Abden.

The launch pads began to fire. Student after student flew into the forest, weapons out or being unsheathed. Gealach was next in line. He tensed his legs, hunched over, and grabbed the handle of Mhean Oiche. Fire burned in his veins.

Time seemed to slow down. _Click. _The plate shifted ever so slightly, back and to the left. _Click. "Going north-east," _Gealach noted. _Click. _He tilted minutely to the right. _Click. _The machine was primed. _Click-CHUNK! _The plate unhooked from it's anchor.

Gealach soared through the air, drawing Mhean Oiche. He pressed the button on the hilt, transforming the massive sword into a railgun. Gealach was just above the trees now. He fired down and in front, the recoil of his magnetic cannon slowing him down slightly. Shot after shot rang out, each slowing the armoured faunus just a little more. The scent of pine wafted from trees shattered by the steel shots. Just before landfall, he turned Mhean Oiche back into a claymore.

Gealach hit the ground, dropping to one knee. His left hand hit the ground in a fist. He hunched forward, absorbing the impact. Mhean Oiche's blade hovered just above the ground. Gealach stood like the landing was nothing. His ears strained for a hint of life. Silver eyes darted about beneath the mask, drinking up each and every detail.

Rustling to the left caught Gealach's attention. He spun to face it, Mhean Oiche at the ready. The creature making the noise leaped out of the bush. Instinct kicked in, and the claymore was swinging before Gealach registered what had come out of the leafy plant. He stopped his blade just above a pair of twitching ears. A small brown rabbit stared up at Gealach, nose on overdrive. Upon seeing the sword above it's head the rabbit ran.

Gealach pulled his sword away from the small furry critter, and looked to the sky. The sun was still on the rise, so he put it on his right and started walking. Not twenty minutes of walking and he could hear more crashing in the brush to his right. This time, it was accompanied by a rather prolific amount of loud and colourful language.

"Stupid fuckin trees- DAMN YOU STICK!" The source of the commotion was none other than Abden Dammarung, lying in a heap on the ground. "Piece-o-shit landing, glad nobody was there to… see… it…" His voice trailed off as he looked up at Gealach. "FUCK."

He stood up as gracefully as possible, which wasn't very. Gealach watched without a word. "Promise not to tell anyone," Abden pleaded.

"You really need to ask?"

The two sighed, having hoped for different partners. Not one to waste time, Gealach found his bearings again and kept moving north. Abden followed close behind. He would not shut up, much to Gealach's chagrin.

Abden stopped, fear in his voice. "W-we have a problem…" Gealach stopped, and cocked his head. He motioned for Abden to continue when the fiery eyed teen didn't. "That's an Ursa Major."

Gealach drew Mhean Oiche, and swung it in the same motion. The large, bear-like Grimm fell in two diagonally. "Problem solved." Abden stood slack-jawed. 

Elsewhere in the Emerald Forest, Morgun hacked her way through a particularly thick patch of bramble with an axe. Lysandi, her Double Barreled Bearded Blade, carved a swathe through the dense greenery. The armoured bear faunus broke through, stumbling on a tree root.

"Raggin fraggin trees," she grumbled as she regained her footing. "No good wooden tripwires…" Ahead, combat could be heard. Readying Lysandi, Morgun crashed through the brush. A girl with long pink hair finished off a Beowolf, no less than ten corpses already dissipating at her feet. "Well then…" Morgun breathed.

The pink haired girl turned, and amber eyes met emerald. The two met halfway, shaking hands.

"Name's Morgun. Yourself?"

"Meri Mesi," she replied quietly.

"I suppose we're partners now."

Meri replied with a warm smile. "Yup."

The meeting was cut short by a throaty growl. An Alpha Beowolf entered the clearing, it's claws flexing. It roared at the pair.

Morgun balanced Lysandi between her hands, while Meri drew her short sword. A half-second passed between the combatants standing still, and sudden action. The larger-than-average Beowolf raced across on all fours. The two girls ran low to the ground, weapons ready.

Morgun hit first, dropping her axe on the Alpha Beowolf's foot. Meri followed with a slash to the arm. Morgun brought Lysandi up, catching the Grimm's chin. Meri stabbed it's good leg in the knee. Lysandi transformed into a double barreled shotgun as Morgun unleashed both barrels into the Beowolf's chest. The Grimm fell over with a whimper.

The two girls sheathed their weapons. _"She's good," _Morgun noted. Meri's shield hadn't seen any use that fight. Morgun added verbally, "Dumb wolf."

Meri laughed, a sound like bells on a clear day. The two walked out of the clearing, headed north towards the temple. Morgun glared about at everything, ears twitching in her helmet. If there were any Grimm in the area, they had clearly seen the display with the Alpha Beowolf, as not a single monster burst from the bushes. Much to Morgun's disappointment.

The temple was in sight, nearly cleaned out. Only two types of relic remained. Morgun grabbed a black rook, just as Gealach and Abden raced out of the bush. Gealach grabbed the second black rook on his way past. Behind the two, a Zainan roared. 

_Ten Minutes Ago_

"What's this thing?" Abden gestured to a large black mass next to a river with his spear. "It looks like a Grimm, but it's not moving." He reached out and poked it with the tip of his spear. A maned head lifted off the ground.

"It was asleep."

"Uhh…"

"I suggest we run." Gealach turned and ran, Abden right behind him. The Grimm saw the duo as they fled. It roared, and gave chase.

"What did we piss off, anyway?" Abden asked over the roaring and wind.

"You pissed off a Zainan, one of the more powerful species of Grimm." 

_Back To Present  
><em>

The oriental dragon Grimm crashed through the trees, snapping them like toothpicks. Morgun and Meri ran alongside the boys. The four were all in completely different states of mind. Morgun was the essence of pissed. Abden was doing his best to not piss himself. Meri focused on running. And Gealach studied the Grimm.

"_Large, flexible, thrashes when moving," _Gealach took note of everything he saw about the Zainan. _"If I remove -or even damage- a leg, it'll have problems." _He took stock of the other's weapons.

"_A spear, a short sword, an axe, and a bloody large sword. Not enough. I'll need to cripple it, but we can't kill this. Not even any veteran I've heard of has killed one of these." _Gealach clenched his left hand into a solid fist.

He twisted on the ball of his foot, spinning into the punch. The Zainan roared a challenge. It was cut short by a coiled steel hand in between it's eyes. The Grimm shook, stunned, then howled as Mhean Oiche removed some fingers. The index and middle digits hit the ground free of the Zainan's right hand.

With the Grimm distracted, the four ran as fast as they could. They reached the cliff face and took note of the destroyed infrastructure.

"Looks like it wasn't pretty here either," Abden stated, "Unlike you two." He winked at the girls as he spoke. Morgun rolled her eyes. Meri looked away uncomfortably. Gealach cleared his throat.

"If you are done Abden, we have a bigger problem." The Zainan could be heard thrashing about behind them. "Getting up the cliff will be easy for me, with my claw. What about the rest of you?"

Morgun, Abden, and Meri looked at each other nervously. "We can't," they answered in unison.

Gealach stopped, and thought for a moment. "Make me angry."

"What?"

"Make me angry. My semblance grants strength based on strength of will. I'll throw you."

The three looked among themselves again. Suddenly Morgun spoke up.

"No good coward," she spat. "Hiding behind some mask, forcing us to run because you were too weak, what good are you?" Even though the words were hollow and fake, Gealach still stung. Not angry, but wounded. "Stupid scavenger, I bet your only kills are ones you found on the roadside!" Gealach visibly recoiled from that one. "I bet you stole from the garbage to eat as a child. You. Are. A. Worthless. Carrion. Feeder."

Gealach stood, shocked. His silver eyes narrowed behind the mask. "That was too far," he hissed. The raven faunus grabbed Morgun's cuirass with both hands, and lifted her clear off the ground. Before he did anything he would regret, Gealach threw his bear-eared companion. She landed just on the edge of the cliff. Next was Abden, who had the poor luck of standing closer than Meri. She went soon after. Gealach leaped across to the cliff face with the raw power coursing through him.

The claws on the gauntlet dug into the wall. Gealach slid down about thirty feet before grinding to a halt. He gripped a small outcropping with his right hand, then heaved and shattered stone with his left. After testing to ensure it was secure, he grabbed another outcropping.

Behind, and across the ravine, the Zainan burst through the trees. It let out a long, reverberating roar. Gealach was too far away for it to reach. The Grimm screeched a second time, then vanished into the forest.

Gealach grunted and swore as he climbed the sheer cliff face. On the way up, his thoughts were engulfed by plans of how to make Morgun HURT.

"Carrion feeder? CARRION FEEDER?!"

Abden and Meri winced as Gealach's voice carried up the cliff, harsh tone amplified by the wind. Morgun looked unimpressed.

Gealach crested the cliff nearly an hour later. He prepared to rip into Morgun, stopping only after he remembered he asked to be made angry.

"Don't call me carrion feeder again," he growled instead. "Bad things happened to the last guy who called be that. And NEVER speak poorly of my parents." He jerked his head towards the school and left. The others followed soon after.

At the initiation ceremony, Ozpin was standing on the stage, announcing teams. "... Jaune Arc, Lie Ren, Phyrra Nikos, Nora Valkerye. The four of you retrieved the White Rook pieces. From this day forward you will be together as Team Juniper, led by Jaune Arc. Blake Belladonna, Ruby Rose, Weiss Schnee, Yang Xiao-Long. The four of you retrieved the White Knight pieces. From this day forward, you shall work together as Team Ruby, led by Ruby Rose."

Weiss looked less than impressed at her leader. Gealach took note of this, and decided to observe the two. The girl in red, Ruby, was oblivious to her teammate's glare. The girl with the long yellow hair, Yang, was hugging Ruby furiously. The girl with the bow in her hair seemed indifferent.

Gealach felt his breath hitch as Ozpin pulled up the final listing. "And finally, Abden Dammarung, Morgun Sar, Gealach Solas, Meri Mesi. The four of you retrieved the Black Rook pieces. You will train together as Team Gamma, led by Gealach Solas."

Gealach's head reeled. _"These are the people I will have to work with for the next four years? Better hope Abden can tone himself down some." _He looked around in mild confusion. The crowd applauded. Gealach proccessed what he just heard. _"I'm the leader? Why me?"_

Ozpin walked over to Gealach, and said quietly, "Congratulations."

"Hey, congrats! Glad to be on your team!"

"Well done."

"Good job on becoming team leader!"

The praise washed over Gealach. _"I'm not a leader, so why did Ozpin choose me?" _ Doubt clouded his features, hidden safely behind the Grimm mask. _"Meri would be a better leader, she's better with people." _He made every excuse as to why anyone else would be a better leader, but kept them in his head. _"Ozpin chose me for a reason, I guess I'll just have to ask him about it."_

After the ceremony, Gealach caught Ozpin on the latter's way out the door. "Hey Professor? I have a question."

"Ah, Gealach. I'm assuming you wish to know why I chose you as leader?"

Gealach was stunned. "Y-yes sir." _"How did he know what I was going to ask?" _

Ozpin chuckled, and took a sip of his coffee. "Your team will know, even if you don't. Every leader has it. You just need to do the best you can do, and trust in my decision." With that, the headmaster of Beacon left for his office, leaving Gealach to ponder what he just heard.


	7. Chapter 3: Eternal Autumn

Chapter 3: Eternal Autumn

_"What time is it?"_

Gealach shifted in bed, bleary eyes not quite focusing on the clock. It read seven-thirty. The raven feathered teen swung himself out of bed. Both Abden and Meri were still sawing logs, and Morgun was staring forlornly out the window. The dorm was simple in it's arrangement, with the beds pushed off to the sides, leaving a large space in the middle, giving the room a minimalist feel. The boys slept on one side of the room, while the girls slept on the other. Each desk had a small nightstand next to it, and a communal desk squatted before the window.

His slacks hung low, loose in their usual manner, his mask firmly fixed to where it was the night before. He grabbed the standard school uniform and immediately left for a shower. Gealach set the water to warm itself, stripped, and entered the flowing water. Not bothering to wash the oil from his feathers, Gealach tidied up and exited the shower in about five minutes. He was clothed in another five, mask reset and loose feathers tied back.

Back in the dorm room, Meri was stretching as she let out a small yawn. Abden had barely moved. Morgun still gazed through the glass, though her expression was one of content now rather than one of sadness. Gealach mentally noted the change in atmosphere when Meri was awake.

Morgun already washed, leaving Meri. While she was in the shower, Gealach checked the schedule. First class of the day: Grimm Studies with Professor Port. When Meri returned, a cherry scent permeated the room. All the while Abden remained dead to the world. Gealach glanced at the clock. It read five after eight now.

"Abden, time to wake up."

The indigo haired teen grumbled incoherently, actively resisting any attempt to rouse him. Gealach sighed, and after twenty minutes, gave up and gripped the edges of the bed. Which he proceeded to flip. Tossing Abden. Who wore naught but a pair of boxers. Abden shrieked, which drew attention from both girls, as if the crashing bed already hadn't.

"Wha- Who- Where- What?" Incomplete questions burst forth from the flame eyed teen like bubbles from a fountain. "Okay, what the actual fuck man? It's way too early for that!" Meri chuckled at his angry embarrassment. "Really, who flips a bed to wake someone up?"

"It is eight thirty, we have classes in half an hour, and I flip beds to wake people up." Gealach's response sent Meri into hysterics. No humour. No anger. No disappointment. Gealach was simply reciting facts to his half-naked teammate, and the sakura haired girl couldn't even hope to keep a straight face at the thought.

Abden was dressed and ready ten minutes later. Breakfast was… interesting, by Gealach's standards. Abden had some kind of overly-sweet cereal, nearly drowned in milk. Morgun was quietly crunching away at toast. Meri had a well rounded breakfast with eggs, toast, and sausages. To top it all off, Gealach surpassed Meri's plate, with nearly double the portions. He lifted the mask just enough to get food to his mouth. He then demolished the entire plate in three minutes. His mask fell back into place as his teammates stared incredulously. He looked up from his now empty plate, and shirked from the stares.

"Can you not, please?"

Breakfast devolved into chatter near instantaneously, and though the meals were finished reasonably fast, team Gamma was nigh late for their first class. Gealach briefly checked the schedule to ensure they were indeed at the correct classroom. "First class… nine o'clock… Professor Port… Grimm Studies… this room right here." As it turned out, Grimm Studies was possibly the dryest, dullest thing Gealach had ever had the displeasure of being forced to sit through. Professor Port, instead of teaching the curriculum, droned on and on about his 'glory days.' Gealach wasn't surprised in the least when Abden passed out in class.

A rapid change of pace occurred coincidentally as Gealach finally decided to look up from his textbook. Weiss was standing on the lecture floor, facing a rather solid looking cage. Glowing red eyes stared out venomously from within. The rest of her team was cheering. Weiss, not impressed, snapped at them to shut up. With a dramatic flourish of his blunderaxe, Professor Port severed the lock upon the cage, revealing a particularly irate Boarbatusk.

The porcine Grimm charged at the heiress, intent on disemboweling her. Weiss gracefully sidestepped the brutal onslaught. She brought Myrtenaster about full circle, swiping and slashing at the tough, armoured hide on the monster's back. The remainder of Team Ruby cheered her on, irritating Weiss to no end.

The girl in the red cloak, Ruby as Gealach remembered, offered, "Weiss, go for it's belly! It has no armour there!" The Boarbatusk pounced upon the opportunity presented by Weiss, who made the mistake of taking time to yell at Ruby. The shadowy swine charged once more, forcing Weiss to block with Myrtenaster. The slender blade was trapped by the sharp tusks of the Grimm, demanding a contest of strength with Weiss. She lost. Myrtenaster flew across the lecture platform, clattering on the hardwood floor.

Weiss was now forced to evade, disarmed. She sprinted across the floor, hellbent on retrieving her rapier. The Boarbatusk gave chase, snorting and squealing the whole time. Weiss snatched up Myrtenaster, gracefully twirling around the charging black bristled boar. It crashed into a bench, swaying where it stood, momentarily stunned. Weiss flicked her fingers around. Glyphs formed to knock the Boarbatusk on its back. Myrtenaster was summarily buried up to the hilt in the shrieking Grimm's gut.

As the classes progressed, Gealach took note of his instructors. No two teachers were even remotely similar. Doctor Oobleck moved about almost faster than Gealach's corvan eyes could follow, yet never once spilled his everpresent and seemingly bottomless cup of coffee. He was the history teacher. The masked hunter found it rather odd that such a high-speed, eccentric man was a history teacher.

Each week ended with a class on combat and aura manipulation. The course was both taught and coordinated by Ms. Goodwitch. Gealach sauntered to a seat in the back corner of the room, observing his classmates as they entered. His gaze soon fell upon Abden, Meri, and Morgun as they sought out their leader. He proceeded to wave his team over, calling just loudly enough for Morgun to catch his words. Not long after the class was seated, Ms. Goodwitch organized a match.

"Do I have any volunteers?" Glynda looked around the room for a hand. "No? Alright then, let's see… Mister Solas, would you be kind enough to take the first round?" Gealach shrugged and stood, vaulting over the railing and into the arena. "Is there anyone in particular that you would like to face?"

Gealach pondered for a moment. "No one in particular, thanks."

"Alright, then your opponent shall be randomly selected… Mister Lark, you are Gealach's opponent."

The blue haired teen meekly made his way down to the arena floor. His armour did nothing to bolster his confidence, nor did the halberd on his back. To Gealach, Sky looked about as combat ready as a stoned koala.

The timer began to count down. _Ten. _Both contestants drew their weapons. _Nine. _Gealach dropped into a combat stance. _Eight. _Sky settled into a poor imitation of Gealach's stance. _Seven. _The tension thickened the very air._ Six. _Both Gealach and Sky focused their auras. _Five. _The class leaned forward in anticipation, some accidentally falling off their seats._ Four. _Ms. Goodwitch raised a hand. _Three. _Gealach pressed the button on Mhean Oiche's handle. _Two. _The claymore folded in on itself, turning into a rifle like gun. _One. _Gealach took aim at his opponent. _Zero. _The klaxon sounded, Glynda dropped her hand and backed away, and Gealach pulled the trigger all at once. A hum resonated within Mhean Oiche, followed by a resounding crash. The first and last shot of the match broke the sound barrier as it ripped across the arena. Lark was embedded within a wall with his aura depleted to red..

Glynda called the match as several students rushed forward to pull Sky out of the crater he made in the wall, while Team Cardinal glared daggers at Gealach instead of helping their partner out. He chuckled a little, and melted back into his corner seat. He almost got to reading his textbook. Almost.

"That was quite a short match, Gealach. Could you please tell us more about your weapon?"

_"Damnit Glynda," _He inwardly cursed. "Sure, why not?"

Gealach slowly made his way down to the arena floor to stand by Glynda. He drew Mhean Oiche and balanced it between his hands, displaying it for the class to see. "As you can see, I wield a sword. It's a Magnetic Accelerator Cannon Claymore, designed and built by me. I named the blade Mhean Oiche, meaning Midnight in my ancestor's tongue."

Someone called out, "How can you even hold that thing?"

From the back of the class, Abdens voice rang out, "He lifts bro, he lifts!"

"Thank you Gealach," Glynda interrupted, sparing the raven feathered teen from any more questions. "You may return to your seat now." As Gealach returned to his seat, the class dissolved back into chatter. A sharp crack resounded through the classroom, as Glynda stood before one particular student. The noisiest of the bunch.. "Next duel, we have…"

And so went the weeks. Grimm studies, followed by History. Then lunch before moving onto Applied Mathematics, finishing off every day save Friday with a study block. Fridays had Combat and Aura Training. The schedule allowed for plenty of downtime after classes.

Gealach noticed a pattern to his teammates. Abden would flirt with every girl he met, casual as can be about it. Wouldn't be too worrying, if the indigo haired boy put even some priority into grades rather than hitting on anyone who had a double-x chromosome and paid him any attention. Thus, his grades suffered. When asked, Abden replied, "What's it matter? I'll just come again next year." He barely paid mind as Gealach explained that if Abden failed, there would be no 'next year.'

Next was Morgun. Gealach was honestly a little intimidated by Morgun. The blonde bear faunus took nonsense from noone. Abden learned very quickly second hand why he should never hit on Morgun. The last guy who tried walked away with a shattered ego after Morgun both refused his offer and made a fool out of him in one sentence. All Gealach heard was roaring laughter from the other end of the room, he had removed himself after seeing the look in Morgun's eyes.

Meri seemed the friendliest to Gealach. She always wore a kind smile, and was just really easygoing. No one could get mad at the girl who seemed to radiate a calm and happy energy at all times. Her free time was spent with friends, mostly Morgun or Gealach, or working on some project or another. She put her mind to whatever needed doing. The work ethic this girl exuberated was almost single minded determination to leave nothing to tomorrow. While Gealach could respect that, he found himself worrying if his teammate would grind herself into Dust via overworking.

While Gealach enjoyed the company his team provided, he repeatedly found himself fed up with one half. After the third hour long bickering fest, Gealach began his escapes to the roof. One night, he met Blake up there by chance.

"You heard those two shouting at each other?"

"I'm certain that the whole floor can hear them, birdie."

"Fair enough there, bookworm."

The two sat in silence, Blake reading and Gealach stargazing. Gealach broke the silence after half an hour, curious about his mysterious acquaintance. _"Heh, as if I'm one to talk about being secretive." _He began small, not really prying too much. "Never did catch your name. I'm Gealach." He extended a hand to the shadowy haired girl.

"Blake."

"_And that's all I needed to hear. She won't be talking any time soon." _Gealach stood to return to his dorm room. He offered a brief farewell, which Blake returned. Back at the dorm, Abden and Morgun seemed no closer to calming down. _"Half a fucking hour and they aren't even slowing down?"_

Gealach grew tired of the argument after ten seconds. He stalked over to where the two stood and grabbed the back of each's head. _CRACK! _Abden and Morgun reeled, clutching their foreheads. "NOW WE'VE ALL GOT SOMETHING OUT OF OUR SYSTEMS!" The team very quickly quieted down, suddenly fearful for their faces. "Thank you. I hope you realize it's ten to eleven, and we are going to Forever Fall tomorrow, and you are KEEPING THE REST OF THE FLOOR UP?" Seeing Abden's and Morgun's blank faces, Gealach sighed. "Field trip. We're going to the Forest of Forever Fall to collect some sap. We have to leave at eight, so you had better get up. Wouldn't want a repeat of day one would we now, Abden?"

Abden replied in a meek voice, "Nope."

"Good. Go. To. Sleep."

Next morning, everyone was up and ready by seven twenty. Everyone except for Abden. Gealach wasted no time this morning. Abden went sailing again, nearly out the window this time.

"Gah! I was getting up, asshat!"

"I'm the judge of that! And you failed."

Abden was ready in eight minutes, a record he had only surpassed on the second day. He fully intended to pay the feathered faunus back in full.

The trip to Forever fall was short and uneventful. Abden had a curious lack of things to say the whole trip. That unto itself unsettled the normally calm leader of Team Gamma. During the trip, Gealach found Blake staring out a window.

"Quite the view, huh? Forever Fall is my favorite place. The colours are so vibrant here."

"If you have something to say, say it."

"Just commenting on the forest."

"Whatever."

Gealach, sensing Blake's irritation, left her company. As he walked away, out of the corner of his eye, he noticed the bow on top of her head twitching, despite the definite lack of a breeze within the airship. _"Knew it. Now, just what species are you?" _Gealach took one look back, seeing Blake absorbed in her book once more. _"Her and that book. Can't seem to find one without the other." _

Upon landing at Forever Fall, the students split into their respective teams. Gealach noted Jaune grouping up with Team Cardinal, which only unsettled him more. _"As I recall, Jaune was leading team Juniper. Why is he stuck with Cardinal? There are no teams of five." _

Team Gamma was amongst the first teams to find a copse of the red sap trees. Each member took a jar, filling it at the nearest tree they could find. With the less than daunting task of collecting tree sap out of the way, Gealach led the team back to Goodwitch. He never made it all the way.

En route, Sky, Dove, and Russel all ran screaming past team Gamma. Sky yelled, "Run! It's an Ursa!" Gealach took off in the direction three quarters of Team Cardinal came from. Not thirty seconds later, he and his team came upon a clearing. Within stood the source of Team Cardinal's terror.

An Ursa Major towered over Cardin Winchester, growling menacingly. It pulled an arm back, and swung. As the monstrous paw fell towards Cardin, Jaune Arc dashed in between the two and warded off the hit. The Ursa pressed down, easing it's body weight over Jaune in an attempt to crush him. He rolled off to the side, effectively nullifying the attack. The grizzly Grimm swiped at Jaune again, launching him across the clearing. The blonde boy refused to hesitate, standing up and charging the Ursa once again. It swatted him clear away again.

No matter how many times the Ursa flung Jaune with a casual swing of it's arm, he stubbornly stood up and rushed it again. The Grimm could make no progress to Cardin. Jaune stood steadfast between it and it's chosen prey, forcing the Ursa back a step for every step it took. It was not a battle Jaune was winning however. His aura had been depleting rapidly, now well within the red zone.

In a display of careless ferocity, the Ursa swung a meaty arm at the blonde swordsman. In the same moment, Jaune thrust his blade forward to stab at the Grimm. For reasons indiscernible to Gealach, Jaune lowered his sword and lifted his shield. This movement saved him. The Ursa's paw crashed down on Jaune's shield and slid off to the side, destabilizing the Grimm. Jaune slashed upwards with Crocea Mors, beheading the Ursa. The masked, bodiless head hit the ground behind Jaune with a wet, dull thud. The stench of blood and sweat filled the air, thick red oozing from the Ursa's neck.

Gealach watched in awe as the previously pathetic excuse for a hunter decapitated the Ursa Major. Off to his left, Phyrra, Weiss, and Ruby discussed something Gealach couldn't hear. A grin creeped across the masked raven's face as Jaune bashfully chatted with Phyrra. Privacy notwithstanding, Gealach half expected them to kiss and make up.

"_Honestly, why doesn't she say something? We've all been able to see it from the beginning EXCEPT for that idiot," _Gealach mused, staring out the corner of his eye. When nothing of the sorts happened, he added, _"Dust damn it woman, you will die alone at this rate."_

After the short exchange between Jaune and Phyrra, the students returned to Glynda. Shockingly, yet not at the same time, Cardin was silent, maintained a healthy distance away from Jaune, and even mumbled an apology to the blonde longsword wielder. Gealach wondered if he had passed out at some point and this was all in fact some great dream.

The airship ride back to Beacon was about as eventful as the one to Forever Fall. Gealach sat cross legged on a balcony, watching the crimson and gold forest vanish over the horizon. He was interrupted by Morgun.

"We're about to land, come on."

"Thanks."

As he stepped off the airship ten minutes later, Gealach's thoughts drifted. _"I wonder if she knows I'm here..?"_

**Yay Forever Fall! My personal favorite place in Remnant, mostly because my favorite season is autumn. A little showcasing on how freaking overpowered a railgun is, but like any weapon it has it's drawbacks. Like taking forever between shots. I enjoyed this chapter, even if it took two or three tries to make good. I'm good at fights, not… things that aren't fights. So expect a fight next chapter. I mean a real fight, not the one hit wonder that was Sky Lark. My headcanon is that he is a truly pathetic fighter, with aura being his weakest trait.**

**Don't forget to leave a review if you see anything that can be improved! Until next time.**


	8. Chapter 4: Pandemonium

Chapter 4: Pandemonium

A grotesquely fat, balding man wearing a strained red button up shirt and black pants entered a small cafe. He sat down at a table across from a man in a grey and red suit with slicked back blood red hair. A waitress came around for his order.

"Large coffee, black."

The waitress left, and returned with the drink in a few minutes.

"Here you are sir."

"Thank you."

The man in red accepted his coffee and took a sip. Satisfied with the beverage, he leaned forward to put it on the table. He turned to the man in grey.

"It would seem that the Avenger has enrolled at Beacon."

"Is that so? What do you think it will take to unleash him?"

"I believe he is rather attached to the Schnee heiress."

"Are the White Fang not already trying to kill her?"

"Indeed, but who does the harm does not matter."

"Perhaps we can arrange for an… 'accident.'"

The obese man grinned maliciously, taking another sip of his coffee. "That would be the best course of action, now wouldn't it?"

* * *

><p>Team Gamma joined Teams Ruby and Juniper at the usual tables for lunch, idle chatter filling the air. Gealach sat quietly, his once-heaping plate already empty. The others were still just barely halfway through their meals.<p>

"How in the name of Dust do you eat that fast? That can't be good for you!" Abden commented, mirth tinting his words.

"You know how I always wear this mask? One tends to learn how to eat fast when they wear a mask."

"Whatever you say. You're gonna choke one of these days."

During Applied Mathematics, Gealach felt a chill run down the length of his spine. Throughout the rest of the class he was on edge, as if the roof above him would cave in at any second. When the bell rang, his scroll vibrated. He pulled it out, reading the notification.

_"Could you please come to my office at your earliest convenience? -Ozpin."_

As soon as the class was dismissed, Gealach notified his team. "You guys have the rest of today to do whatever. I have to meet with Ozpin, so I'll be a while." They dispersed, catching friends on their way out of class. Gealach wandered his way towards Ozpin's office.

Five minutes later, Gealach was outside Ozpin's office. Raising a loose fist, he knocked on the weathered wood doors five times in rapid succession. They opened without a sound. Gealach stepped inside, looking around the ornate room. It had a steampunk feel, with spinning gears and cogs in the walls, ceiling, and even the desk in the center of the room. Ozpin sat behind said desk, a coffee mug in front of him and papers stacked in orderly piles.

"Good afternoon, Gealach."

"Afternoon Professor. You had something you wanted to talk about?"

Ozpin leaned forward, resting his elbows on his desk. "Indeed. Before we start, could you take off the mask please? I like being able to look my students in the eye."

"As long as no one else sees it. That includes cameras."

"I promise that there is nothing of the sorts."

Gealach saw no reason to distrust the headmaster. Making sure the doors were shut, he reached up and gently removed his mask. Mercury eyes met hazel in a silent exchange of respect and concern.

"That's quite the scar. Mind telling me how you got that?" Ozpin queried, gesturing towards Gealach.

"I got attacked by a drunk when I was twelve. Jerk had a knife in his boot and somehow remembered it despite being deep in his cups," Gealach answered. His hand unconsciously drifted towards the slash, absently tracing the whole length. "He was aiming for my eye. Luckily, he stumbled and missed. The idiot tripped and fell sideways, creating the jagged slash towards the far corner of my jaw."

Ozpin nodded in understanding. "Is that scar the reason why you wear the mask?"

"No, not really. I could care less if people saw the scar. It's to protect a friend. You may know her. Miss Weiss Schnee."

Ozpin suppressed a grin. "Is that so? May I ask how wearing a mask representing a monster will protect miss Schnee?"

Gealach sighed. "Her father, Raureif, does not approve of me. I fear that if she knew of my presence, Raureif would learn soon after. And if he learned that his daughter and I attended the same academy, he would have one of us removed."

The headmaster cocked an eyebrow. "Now why would he attempt to force a student from my school if he knew you were here?"

"Do you want the short story or the long one?"

Ozpin checked his watch, a simple analogue clockwork timepiece. "We have time. Could you tell the long version please?"

Gealach found a chair, and pulled it up to the gear-filled desk. "Best get comfortable." He leaned forward, balancing his forearms on his knees. "When I was five, I learned how to read. By the time I was eight, I had taught myself the piano. I turn eleven, and I've been playing the piano in the tavern for two whole years. A travelling talent scout hears my music, and comes inside. He sees me in front of the piano, oblivious to the world as I played a jovial tune. When the song finished, he comes over to me and makes an offer. He said, 'Kid, you have some serious skill! I was wondering if you would like to play at an upcoming event. You'd be playing for some really rich people.' Being a young fool, I accepted. I had to prove some rich guy that I could play to the standard they demanded. I crushed his expectations. Two months later, I'm dressed in a tuxedo with a silver tie and getting ready to play a song alongside the most beautiful girl I've ever seen. I didn't know it at the time, but that girl was Weiss. I decided to try and get to know her before we had to play, because to me she seemed lonely. When I attempted to talk to her, she turned me the cold shoulder. It cut me inside. So I ignored her, and just focused on what was to come. We go out on stage, and performed for the crowd, just us. No other musicians, no other instruments, not even backup singers. After the concert, she asks where I learned to play so well. I told her I taught myself. She called me a liar, said that no one could teach themselves to play that well. It made me glow inside to hear such praise, even if she hadn't meant as such. Unfortunately, before the conversation could continue, I had to leave and hadn't even learned her name. Despite this, we kept meeting for concerts like this first one. I wouldn't learn her name for at least another month. She only ever told me her first name, so to me she was simply Weiss, the girl with frosty teal eyes and an amazing singing voice. While the other boys worshipped the ground she at her feet, and she trod on them as such, I treated her as nothing more than an equal, another musician of great talent, and over time we became close friends. She never told me her last name because she thought it would push me away or make me like all the others. By the time I knew she was the heiress to the Schnee Dust Company, it didn't matter. To me, she was Weiss, a beautiful girl and great friend, not Weiss Schnee, heiress to the Schnee Dust Company. A few years later, she's furious with her father for trying to set her up with another stuck-up no-good lazy entitled heir to some other big company. That was four months ago now, I think. Maybe three. Around this time, I had figured out my feelings. I had fallen hard for her. I accidentally made an offhand comment about being jealous of the most recent guy, and she demanded I explain. So I confessed everything, and asked if she would court me. I never heard her answer, but her expression changed with each word. Unfortunately, Raureif had been standing on the other side of the door, listening. He burst into the room screaming and waving a rapier around. He snarled at me, saying things along the lines of 'commoners can't court noblewomen' and 'no good faunus scum.' I took it all as best I could, but he pushed the absolute limit. He said, and I quote, 'Listen well, scavenger. My daughter is not some carrion on the roadside for you to pick at to your hearts content.' I replied, 'Better a scavenger than a terrible father!' We almost fought, only stopped by Weiss. Raureif decreed that Weiss and I were to never see one another again. Both Weiss and I argued against him. He won however, when he threatened death and pushed the tip of his sword against my ribs, just above my heart. I relented, knowing Weiss would be less upset if I didn't die right in front of her. This way however, we have a chance of being able to meet again. But if Raureif learns that I'm here, either Weiss or myself is leaving, and we don't get to choose who."

Ozpin took a sip of his coffee, listening with rapt attention. "So to paraphrase, Raureif would force you two apart."

"Yeah, that sounds about right."

"I see. You may put your mask back on now. Thank you for explaining the importance of it to me."

Gealach gratefully returned the carven ivory to his face. He glanced at the clock, the only decoration in the room. _"Dust, I've been here for two hours!?"_ He turned to face Ozpin. "Was there anything else, Professor?"

Ozpin took another sip from his cup. "No, you can go rejoin your friends. Thank you for shedding light on the matter."

As Gealach stood, he added, "Please don't tell anyone about this. The less people that know, the less risk there is." Ozpin nodded, a smile creasing his features.

"As you wish. I shant tell a soul."

As Gealach exited the office, he saw Ruby nigh skipping along towards Ozpin's office. "Oh, hey Gealach!" She smiled when she saw the masked teen. "How's it going?"

"Hey Ruby. Was just talking to Ozpin, what about you?"

"Ozpin wanted to talk to me too! What were you talking about?"

Gealach visibly stiffened. "I, uh… I gotta go, Abden's probably getting himself in trouble again," he dodged. He ran in the general direction of the dorms, leaving behind a very confused Ruby.

She watched as Gealach sprinted down the hall, one eyebrow raised. "What was that all about?"

Gealach careened full tilt down the halls, determined to put as much distance between himself and Ruby as he could. Passing a door, he glanced inside to see the locker room. The raven feathered boy came to a screeching halt, and stepped inside the unoccupied room. An idea for an upgrade came to Gealach's mind. He found his locker and entered his code. The heavy gauntlet and Mhean Oiche lay inside. Gealach grabbed the gauntlet and made his way to the forge room.

Inside, he set the gauntlet on a worktable and grabbed a hammer and tongs, and several sharp edges. He removed several layers of steel from the wrist, and planted a chain mechanism in the resulting groove. Reaching into a pouch, he pulled out three vials of Red, Blue, Green, Yellow, and Purple powder Dust each. The vials were then attached to the chains, smoothly meshing so as to create an image of a solid band of various colours. There was room on the chain for more vials yet.

The Dust remained exposed, so Gealach set about correcting that. He grabbed the steel he removed to implement the Dust chain, and thinned it. A rectangle was cut in, so as to allow sight of the Dust in the gauntlet. Opening the hand, Gealach added a mechanism to change Dust types. He put the whole gauntlet back together, and lay it on the table palm facing up.

"I name you Realta, the stars that aid the Moons in lighting the night." A second shiver ran down Gealach's spine, accompanied by gooseflesh. He glanced around nervously, slipping Realta on as he did. "Who's there?" The only answer was silence. _"Twice in one day? That's not good." _

Stepping into the empty hall in a brawler's stance, Gealach looked around. He furrowed his brows in anticipation and worry, constantly scanning every which way, barely blinking. The feathered teen warily wound his way through the school, finding the entrance hall. He stepped outside, senses heightened from being on edge.

Whispers carried on the wind, faintly reaching Gealach's ears. He whipped around, following the words to the source. A man in a grey and red suit was talking into a scroll. His hushed tones carried a sense of malice, and possibly tuna. He turned around, and saw Gealach. One last sentence was said before the scroll was returned to the man's pocket. He walked towards Gealach, a grim smile on his face.

"Well well well, what have we here? Some nosy kid listening in on a conversation between adults?" The man's grin widened as he pulled out a rod, telescoping it and pressing a button. Electricity arced between the forks at the tip. "Kids like you shouldn't butt in on adult affairs."

Gealach returned to his unarmed stance, left side forward. "Perhaps, but wouldn't it be best to expose the grown man threatening a student?"

The man's grin vanished, replaced by a snarl. "No one has to hear about this little meeting. In fact, no one will."

The man yelled and charged, lightning flaring at the end of his baton. Gealach switched his stance, balanced on the balls of his feet. The man in grey swung wide. Gealach palmed the trigger, switching to purple dust. Clenching a fist, he delivered a swift uppercut, lifting the man by his ribs. The purple dust triggered, causing a concussive blast upon impact. The man flew back, knocking his head against a tree, yet managing to retain consciousness. Gealach deactivated the dust, deeming it not necessary. The man charged again, and Gealach knocked him down with a right jab to the nose. His opponent staggered back. He put the baton away and smiled, despite his bloodied face.

"So it's you… hehehe… Here, take this. We wait with open arms and whatever you desire," he declared, holding out a folded note.

Gealach took the slip of paper, confusion playing out under his mask. "What? I don't un… der… stand?" As he looked up, the man in grey was gone. "What was that all about?" He put the paper in his pocket and made a mental note of reading it later.

Back in the dorm, Morgun and Abden were bickering again. They fell silent as the door opened, reflexively clutching their foreheads. Gealach stepped through without a word. _Crash! _Realta hit the ground beside Gealach's bed. Wordlessly grabbing his sleepwear, he changed right there, too tired and too confused to care. Gealach read the note the man had given him before laying down on his bed.

**_"Avenger_**

**_ We know of your devastating abilities, and would like to make you an offer. We know of your connection to the Schnee heiress. We know of your predicament. We offer a way to resolve the issue with no room for retaliation from her father, in exchange for a favour. We await you at the Vale Schnee Dust Refinery, Warehouse Twenty Four."_**

Gealach put the note on his nightstand and promptly passed out. His teammates shared a concerned glance.

"Don't we have Combat and Aura in ten minutes?" Meri pointed out.

"Whatever happened earlier, he's drained. We can explain to Goodwitch," Morgun replied.

"I wish I could pass out and be left alone like that," Abden complained.

"Shut up and get your gear," the girls ordered in sync.

Three of four members of Team Gamma both went to and returned from class, ate dinner, and fell asleep long before Gealach ever woke up. He finally stirred at midnight.

Wide awake and well rested, Gealach considered the note. He reached a decision, and stood without a sound. The raven feathered teen changed into his combat attire almost immediately, making sure to equip Realta and test cycle the Dust vials. _"Warehouse Twenty Four, huh? I guess I should see what whoever that was is offering." _He silently exited the room. Well, as silently as one could manage whilst clad in steel boots.

As the armoured teen left, the sound of his metal shod feet clinking against the hardwood flooring woke Meri. She watched him round the corner before getting out of bed herself. She too changed into combat gear before rousing the others.

Gealach exited the school, collecting Mhean Oiche on his way out, and caught an airship to Vale. _"Thank Dust for 'round the clock airship passage." _Upon landing he made a beeline for the refinery. Hungry eyes watched from shadows and alleys, but none dared near the masked MACC wielder. Unknown to Gealach, his team followed, only three blocks behind.

Gealach found the Schnee Dust Company refinery after fifteen minutes of walking, and Warehouse Twenty Four after another ten minutes. His team followed discreetly, unsure of Gealach's motives. He walked up to the small door, and tried the handle.

_"They locked it… fine, we'll do this my way." _Gealach palmed the trigger, switching to purple dust. He pulled his left hand back, clenching a fist. A kinetically amplified left cross flew, turning the steel door into shrapnel and twisted scrap. Inside, a group of about fifteen armed thugs milled aimlessly. Their heads all turned at the sound of screeching metal. Each wore a red shirt, with black pants and shoes, and a black vest. Tattooed on various places was a Grimm mask, strongly resembling that of a Nevermore. After taking a second to identify Gealach as a hostile, they opened fire.

Gealach drew Mhean Oiche. Releasing a fearsome battle cry, he charged the mob, claymore in hand and a vicious gleam in his eye. A grunt wielding a fire axe leaped at Gealach. He threw his fist, catching the zealous minion in the gut and throwing them. Mhean Oiche glided into another grunt, flinging the thug with little effort. He pulled the trigger, firing a shot into a cluster that was about to rush him. The small mob flew, thrown by the impact. The last grunt charged at Gealach's exposed back. His feet were thrown out from under him by a shield skidding along the ground.

Gealach picked up Fos and threw it back to Meri like a discus. The man in the grey suit and the obese man in red entered the warehouse and saw the carnage. Their gaze settled on Gealach.

"See? We've found the Avenger," the man in grey exclaimed.

"I'll need better proof than that," the fat man retorted.

"Very well then."

The man in grey bowed low as he pulled a pair of daggers out of his jacket. "My name is Jacob. I'm pleased to see you here, Avenger."

"You mentioned being able to solve one of my problems," Gealach retorted. "How?"

"A father can't prevent you from being with his daughter if he's dead, can he?"

"As if I'd let you," Gealach snarled in previously unseen rage. "She would hate me for the rest of eternity!" He charged, the point of Mhean Oiche low to the ground and Realta set to Fire Dust.

Meri reattached Fos to her arm. She looked up at Gealach, watching as he rushed across the warehouse floor. "Who's this 'she,' Gealach's talking about?"

Jacob snapped his daggers to a comfortable fighting grip, tips pointed up, and dropped into a balanced stance. Gealach raised Mhean Oiche above his head, reaching out with his left hand. Realta lit, fire outlining the metal claw. Gealach grabbed at Jacob, but caught only air. He followed with Mhean Oiche. Jacob blocked with his daggers. Steel crashed against steel with a screeching crash. Gealach palmed the trigger again, switching to lightning Dust. He punched Jacob, sending arcing bolts throughout the thin man's frame. The lightning, instead of harming him, was redirected at Gealach. The masked teen caught it with Mhean Oiche and leaped away.

Off to the side, Meri, Morgun, and Abden watched in awe. The fat man slowly waddled around the fight to stand beside them.

"My brother has introduced himself, but I have not. Forgive my rudeness, I am Wilhelm."

Abden pointedly ignored Wilhelm. "What the hell is going on here," he breathed.

Gealach swung wide at Jacob, who rolled under the blade. The tip of Mhean Oiche buried itself in the concrete to Gealach's right. He used the momentum of his swing to throw a punch, which was also dodged by Jacob. A small crater surrounded by a spiderweb of cracks bloomed where the thin man once lay. Jacob slashed at Gealach's ankles, daggers sparking off of the metal shin guards. He rolled to his feet, swiping the whole way. Gealach blocked each slash with Realta, sparks flying. Gealach switched over to purple dust, infusing his gauntlet. Jacob popped to his feet only for his face to meet Realta. A burst of concentrated kinetic energy on the center of impact launched Jacob across the room.

Wilhelm wandered over to a crate and leaned against it, watching the duel with interest. "So he really is the Avenger… Well done little brother, well done indeed."

Jacob triggered his daggers, causing them to change shape, folding into revolver pistols. He fired at Gealach, who responded by shifting Mhean Oiche into it's railgun form. Jacob heard the hum and responded by dodging erratically. The familiar pulse rang out, and a ragged hole appeared in the crates beside Jacob. The crow shaped steel shot ripped through every crate in it's path and the wall, stopping halfway through the adjacent warehouse. Thumbing the button, Mhean Oiche became a sword again. Gealach charged, fire in his veins and fire coated Realta. He swung Mhean Oiche on an upward diagonal.

Jacob blocked, crossing his revolvers to catch the massive blade. Realta summarily crashed into the side of his head, hungry flames blossoming out from under the fist. The thin man flew across the warehouse, a burn on his cheek. He stood shakily, clutching the side of his face. Gealach rushed forwards, slashing horizontally. Jacob reacted to late. Mhean Oiche dug into his ribs, throwing him sideways.

Jacob stood slowly, transforming his pistols and sheathing them.. Ozone wafted through the air as lightning crackled around the lanky man. He turned to face Gealach, his lips contorting into a cruel grin.

"Well, it's been fun kiddo, but we've seen all we needed to see."

Before Gealach could respond, Jacob mantled himself in lightning and charged. An electricity infused uppercut collided with Gealach's solar plexus. Lightning arced throughout his body. With a gasp, the boy dropped to the floor.

Jacob frowned as he stood over Gealach's prone form. "We would take him by force, but the Avenger wields no power if he does not bear will to complete the task. We shall wait for him to join us willingly." Jacob and Wilhelm vanished into the shadows, the whine of a VTOL outside alerting team Gamma to how they escaped.

Abden and Morgun stood guard over Gealach. They watched in opposite directions, not a single detail escaping their combined field of view.

Meri took the opportunity to call Beacon on her scroll. "...Yes, we're at the Schnee Dust Company refinery. Warehouse twenty four. Alright, be quick, Gealach was electrocuted. Thank you." She walked over to her teammates, worry painted on her face. "A dropship is en route. They'll be here in ten minutes. And boy do we have questions for him," Meri stated, emphasis on the final word, as she gestured at Gealach.

The dropship landed in front of Warehouse Twenty Four, and a team of medics rushed out with a stretcher, one field doctor shouting orders. Gealach was lifted onto the stretcher, and his team followed onto the dropship. There, he was hooked up to a number of machines that monitored breathing, heart rate, and hydration levels.

The field doctor began examination immediately. "Minor burns below the sternum, slight electrically induced shock resulting in erratic heartbeat." Turning to Meri, he stated, "Gealach will be fine. The damage is minor, and the electricity didn't reach his brain. You can thank his armour for that. His memories are intact, and his heart rate has stabilized. The main worry is heavy dehydration, but he's hooked up to an IV for that. Your leader is stuck in the infirmary for the weekend, I'm afraid."

Gealach woke up in the infirmary nine and a half hours later. He looked around, confusion playing across his features. His next emotion was terror.

_"I'm in the infirmary. What if they saw my face? Then word has a chance of spreading to Raureif! I'm so screwed, it's not even funny!" _His internal monologue ended when he felt the mask, still firmly attached to his face.

Ozpin walked into the ward, a steaming cup in each hand. He set one down beside Gealach and sat down beside him. Gealach propped himself up on the bed and grabbed the mug. He took a sip and smiled. It was Earl Gray tea, one cream and one sugar.

"How did you even know I liked tea Ozpin? I don't recall telling you."

"Your teammates told me," Ozpin answered. "How are you feeling, after last night's… adventure?"

Gealach's smile vanished. "My head HURTS. And my gut. and basically everything. It feels like I tried to go mano-a-mano with an Ursa. Did anyone see my face?"

Ozpin chuckled. "No Gealach, your secret is safe. I made sure of it."

Gealach grimaced, his thoughts drifting to the night before. "I'm assuming you want to know why I left last night and was found at Warehouse Twenty Four?"

Ozpin took a sip of his coffee. "Indeed, I am wondering that."

Gealach sighed, looking around. He saw his shirt, pants, and boots stacked up on a chair. "Mind passing me my pants?" Ozpin complied, a wry grin on his face. Gealach fished around in a pocket, pulling out the folded and slightly crumpled note. "Read this," he suggested.

Ozpin scanned the note, brows furrowed. "I see. What was it this person suggested regarding your... complications with Miss Schnee?"

"They offered to kill Raureif," Gealach paraphrased.

"And did you consider taking them up on the offer?"

"What does the fact that I was electrocuted and left on the ground tell you," Gealach growled. "There are not enough ways to say no."

Ozpin smiled and took another sip of his coffee. "I merely wished to hear it from you, I meant nothing by it." Gealach relaxed minorly, but remained tense. "You may wish to relax, mister Solas. You are stuck here for the next two days to recover."

Gealach leaned back, sinking into the soft pillows. "At least it's the end of the semester," he murmured.

* * *

><p><strong>That was one hell of a chapter to write. Backstory, conflict, and all that jazz. Spent a looong time typing this sucker out.<strong>

**The names are my favorite bit. Raureif is German, meaning 'hoarfrost.' Wilhelm and Jacob were the names of the brothers Grimm, the authors of dark versions of the fairy tales we know and love today, such as Snow White, Little Red Riding Hood, and Goldilocks.**

**Hope you enjoyed reading the chapter, and don't forget to leave a review! Until next time.**


	9. Chapter 5: Too Far Gone

Chapter 5: Too Far Gone

On the first day back to school after two weeks, lunch would be an interesting event. Gealach was about two thirds of the way through inhaling a sandwich the size of a dinner plate. Abden picked at a plate of bacon and assorted vegetables.

_"Wait, Abden has vegetables," _Gealach mused. _"Dust, since when did this start?" _

Morgun chowed down on a salad and a slice of turkey, while Meri grinded through a plate of mashed potatoes, corn, and roast beef. Gealach was less surprised by their choices in food.

A pie flew through Gealach's peripheral vision. Turning to follow it's path, he watched the pastry explode on Weiss's face. Tracing it's trajectory, he saw Nora pointing at Ren while the latter facepalmed. Not long after, food was being launched every which way.

Gealach tossed the last wedge of his sandwich in his mouth and dodged his way over to the wall. As he began to climb, a baguette speared the wall next to him, creating a convenient ledge for him to climb up with. He scaled the high wall methodically as the majority of students, his team included, streamed out of the cafeteria in terror.

Laughter could be heard from the far side of the long building. As Gealach seated himself on a rafter, Nora taunted, "I'm queen of the castle, I'm queen of the castle!"

The raven feathered teen looked down at the source of the commotion and nearly fell from his perch. Somehow, as Gealach ascended the cafeteria wall, Team Juniper managed to toss most of the tables in the cafeteria into a pile, on top of which the reckless redhead stood triumphantly.

Team Ruby was the only other team in the cafeteria. Ruby challenged, "Justice will be swift! Justice will be painful! It will be, delicious!" Weiss, Blake, and Yang rallied behind her with a fierce yell.

What followed was likely the most intense food fight in history. Gealach watched as everything from a ketchup bottle to a melon on a stick was used as weaponry.

After a particularly devastating strike from Nora, Yang destroyed the roof to Gealach's left on her wayinto the stratosphere.

Gealach cringed as Nora hammered Weiss with a melon, launching the pale girl into a pillar. Ruby saved her from the tumbling stones whilst her team continued the fight. Phyrra's patience ended, as she used her semblance to launch every pop can in the room at Team Ruby. Blake was the only casualty of this attack, with Yang visiting the clouds and Ruby and Weiss out of effective range.

Ruby leaned over, adopting a sprinting posture. Seconds later, she began to run. A strong pull alerted Gealach to the vacuum the young girl was creating. As debris from the food fight began to succumb to the unrelenting tug, Gealach wrapped his arms around the wooden beam in a deathgrip. He heard the wood creaking and groaning beneath him.

When the pressure subsided, Gealach dropped to the floor. He turned to survey the destruction. His jaw dropped when he saw team Juniper peeling away a very damaged wall, the entire crater tie-dyed.

Gealach heard someone behind him say, "I love these guys."

He turned to face the newcomer. Two boys, one splattered purple from the waist up and the other sporting a monkey tail, stood in front of the doors. The latter's massive smile told Gealach he had seen the whole food fight.

Glynda burst through the doors, crop in hand. She immediately set about resetting the cafeteria. "Children, please. Do not play with your food." It was then that Yang finally returned from her visit to low orbit.

"That's a freaky mask. You a White Fang supporter or something?"

Gealach turned to face the monkey faunus. "No."

"Don't talk much, do you?"

"No."

"Sooooo… nice weather we're having, huh?"

Gealach looked out a window, studying the sky. "Yeah. You done?"

The monkey faunus cocked his head. "Man, you make the Ice Queen seem talkative."

It was then that the splattered purple teen joined in on the conversation. "Sup," he greeted, attempting to regain the sole fleeting shred of his dignity.

Gealach looked over at the monkey's companion. "Hi."

Ruby suddenly appeared in the group, chipping in her two cents. "Awk-ward," she drawled out, almost making it two words before vanishing in a flurry of rose petals.

Neptune's gaze made it's way over to Weiss. "Dude, the girl in white, Weiss right? She's looking hot."

A subtle tensing of Gealach's muscles was the only indication that he heard Neptune's comment. Inside he was frozen, save for his blood, which boiled. His left hand clenched and unclenched unconsciously, rhythmically. While his body was frozen in time, Gealach's mind raced at a thousand kilometers an hour, a train with no brakes on a one-way track, no end in sight. As his mind ran rampant, his gaze unconsciously drifted towards the white haired girl.

"_Damnit! Damnit damnit damnit! He has no reason to not talk to her! Do I take off the mask? Or do I not? Is it worth it? What will she say? Will she hate me? What it she likes him? What if Raureif approves of him? Do I try asking her out again? She never did get the chance to answer…"_

His runaway train of thought was derailed by Weiss's fingers snapping in his face.

"Hello, is anybody in there?"

"I- uh- sorry, pardon?"

"I said, why are you staring? Are you a complete idiot?"

Gealach's hands drifted towards the mask. "Pardon, I didn't mean to. Please forgive my rudeness. A friend of yours wanted me to give you a message in his stead." He reached back, pulling a feather from his scalp. He extended the quill out to Weiss. "He sends his warmest regards, and still thinks of you fondly."

Weiss accepted the feather, a quizzical expression plastered on her face. "Who in Remnant would have their friend give me a feather…" she muttered, staring at the ebony plume as Gealach walked away without another word.

Gealach sat through Applied Mathematics, the least productive he had ever been. Neptune's comment cycled through his brain like a scratched record, throwing off the silver eyed raven faunus. As soon as the bell rang, Gealach vanished from class, pounding ground all the way back to the dorm room. Along the way, he spied a poster to a school-wide dance.

Two weeks passed without incident. Gealach heard about the fight against the White Fang Paladin from Yang, who embellished on how epic it's destruction was. He also heard about Sun's and Neptune's temporary involvement. That fact grated on his nerves. The dance loomed, only a mere two days away. Combat and Aura Manipulation dragged on like never before. When the bell rang, Gealach slowly picked up his stationary and left the room last, lingering on the threshold.

He weighed his options, and the risk to reward ratio. He could be with the girl of his dreams, or he could be exposed for no gain. It all boiled down to tomorrow night.

Saturday evening. Gealach sat on his bed, wearing his standard black tee and dark blue pants. His steel boots were firmly planted on the floor, and his forearms rested on his knees. Gealach's heart beated a mile a minute.

_"Tonight's the night… Come on Gealach! You've taken on a Zainan and survived! You've been launched from cliffs! You've gone hand-to-hand with Yang! Yang, of all people! You can ask one girl to a freaking dance!"_

Steeling his courage, Gealach strode out of the dorm. He wound his way through the school, each step matched by a torrent of tumultuous thoughts. As the raven feathered warrior-in-training rounded a corner, he crashed into Jaune Arc.

"Oh, hey Gealach. What's up?"

"I was going to ask someone to the dance. You?"

"Were you going to ask Weiss?"

"Yeah, why?"

"Don't bother."

Normally, such a warning would not deter Gealach. Jaune Arc was far from normal. Gealach had watched his friend throughout the year, and the blonde had a courage that bordered on foolishness. If Jaune was discouraged, then Gealach trusted that it was beyond what he could handle.

He turned and left, following Jaune to the dorms. Instead of joining team Juniper, he knocked on team Ruby's door. A thud, followed by confused apologies and laughter preceded the door opening and a pair of silver eyes staring out from inside.

"Heya Gealach! What's up?"

Gealach smiled at Ruby under the mask. "Hi, I heard that Yang was helping to plan the dance. I have a request for her."

Ruby looked up quizzically. "Are you going to ask my sister to the da-"

Gealach hurriedly interrupted the young brunette. "No, no I'm not. Just get Yang over here please."

"Well, whatever. YA-ANG! There's someone here to talk to you!" Ruby called in a singsong voice, drawing out the final word.

Yang sauntered over to the door. "Thanks sis! So, what is it?"

Gealach glared at Ruby, disappointed that she couldn't see it. "I was wondering if you would-"

He was cut off by Yang's playful "Nope!"

"If you would let me finish please. I was going to ask if I may play at the dance. I'm a pianist."

"I'm sorry, you're a what?"

" A pianist. Someone who plays the piano."

"Oh… that makes a lot more sense. Sure, why not?"

An hour before the dance, and everyone was getting changed. Gealach looked in a mirror, already fully dressed. His black suit and silver tie meshed well with the mask and feathers, though he thought it would look better without the mask. Using his semblance, he carried a grand piano as many students would a textbook. He set up in a corner of the dance hall, positioning the piano so as to let the notes flow across the floor.

Students began to pour into the hall, all manner of formal wear in use. Gealach sat at the piano, watching the newcomers stream through the double doors. He made a point of avoiding eye contact with Weiss, who didn't seem to have a partner. When the majority of the students attending had arrived, Gealach let his fingers dance across the keys, a melody familiar to himself and Weiss flowing from the colossal instrument.

The alabaster haired girl stalked over to Gealach. "How do you know this song," she demanded. "There was only one copy of the score made, and I don't see it here!"

Gealach looked up as he played, running off of muscle memory. "I had the best seat at the concert."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

Gealach simply smiled and continued to play. "If you still haven't figured it out…"

Weiss sighed in exasperation and sat down by the dance floor, still in earshot of Gealach. Neptune sat down beside her, and the two chatted amiably as Jeane made a scene with his dress-centered antics. Gealach's focus shifted as the song ended, and he had to concentrate on the next one. When that song ended, he heard something that made his blood run cold.

"-A carrion feeder!"

Gealach froze. The music died with one final, depressing note. His head and shoulders slowly twisted, eyes tracing a path to the source. They stopped on Weiss. His mouth hung open, thoughts running through his head faster than Ruby.

_"How does she know it's me?"_

They came to a screeching halt as he reached the only feasible conclusion.

_"She hates me. She hates me because I have raven feathers. She hates me because I'm a faunus."_

The feathered teen stood slowly. He stalked over to the doors, drawing stares from each and every attendee as his steps left miniscule craters in the floor. Reaching the doors, Gealach opened them gently, then slammed them hard enough to loosen the hinges.

As he left, Yang commented, "Aw, fuck! There goes the music!"

Gealach stalked back to the room, red tinting the edges of his vision as his thoughts followed a simple pattern.

_"She hates me. But I didn't hear the whole conversation. But she hates me. But I don't know the whole story."_

He changed into his combat equipment, grabbing Realta and Mhean Oiche as he fled the school. Coming to the north cliff, he reached up and pulled the mask off his face. He dropped it on the ground beside him and leaped down the cliff.

* * *

><p><em>Ten Minutes Earlier<em>

"So what made you change your mind?"

Neptune leaned forward, glancing at Jaune. "You're looking at him."

The two sat in comfortable silence. Weiss broke it, murmuring, "That boy is excellent at playing the piano."

Neptune promptly forgot Jaune's advice. "Him? I bet I could play better than that carrion feeder."

Weiss looked at Neptune, shock and anger plain on her face. "He is not a carrion feeder!"

` Her gaze shifted, feeling Gealach's cold and unforgiving stare boring into her. She watched as he fled.

Neptune looked at Weiss in confusion. "What's wro-" Next thing he knew, his cheek burned and his face was firmly planted on the floor.

"What's wrong, you ask?" Weiss growled. "What's wrong is I think I finally figured out just who's under that mask. One of the only people to treat me like a person. And he sure as Dust treated me better than you have."

Without another word, Weiss followed Gealach out of the dance hall. Neptune and Ruby followed her in turn, concerned about her. The handprint on Neptune's face nearly glowed it was so red.

After several hours of searching, they found the Schnee Heiress at the north cliff of Beacon. She stood still, Gealach's omnipresent mask clutched in her hands. In the five seconds she managed to maintain her composure, she used her scroll to call her locker and draw Myrtenaster.

* * *

><p>Gealach grinded down the cliff face, heels digging into the stone, carving parallel ruts all the way to the ground. He leaped off, red spreading farther into his vision. His boots created dents in the earth as he landed.<p>

The Grimm, known to be attracted to negative emotions, honed in on this beacon of anger and heartbreak as if moths to a flame.

A swarm of all types of Grimm convened on Gealach, arriving within minutes. The first song he and Weiss had collaborated on began to play in his head, the soft tones of the piano accompanying a beautiful voice.

_They see you as small and helpless…_ The first of the Grimm, a Rista, charged Gealach with reckless abandon. _They see you as just a child… _The Rista snapped it's mandibles shut, trying to cut Gealach in half. He caught the razor sharp jaws, one in each hand. _Surprise when they find out that a warrior will soon run wild… _Gealach heaved, throwing the Rista into the air. As it descended, he switched Mhean Oiche to gun form and put a steel bar through the centipede Grimm's brain.

_Prepare for your greatest moments… _A pair of Ursa backed by a Major rushed at the devastated teen. _Prepare for your finest hour… _Mhean Oiche shifted back into claymore form, decapitating an Ursa as it did. Realta cycled to Burn Dust and incinerated the other. _The dream that you've always dreamed is suddenly about to flower… _The Ursa Major swung a meaty arm. Gealach severed the offending limb and spun, launching a flaming backfist into the bear Grimm's cranium.

_We are lightning… _A Nevermore dived, eager to take part in the kill. _Straying from the thunder… _Gealach cycled Realta to Kinetic Dust. _Miracles of ancient wonder… _He punched, clipping an ebon wing, knocking the Nevermore into a spiral. The massive black bird fell too close, allowing Gealach to bisect it down the middle.

_This will be the day we've waited for… _A Beowolf pack charged, Creeps and a King Tajitu following close behind. _This will be the day we open up the door… _Mhean Oiche flourished, Realta punched smashed and crushed, and Beowolves dropped like stones. _I don't want to hear your absolution… _The black head of the King Tajitu fell in two. _Hope you're ready for a revolution… _The white head ruptured as lightning arc throughout it's nervous system.

_Welcome to a world of new solutions… _The Creeps charged in. _Welcome to a world of bloody evolution… _Gealach butchered the Grimm as they came, cutting down anything that came within reach. _In time, your heart will open minds… _Mhean Oiche shifted into gun form as a familiar Zainan burst through the trees, two fingers missing on it's right hand. _The story will be told, and victory is in a simple soul… _The oriental dragon Grimm recognized Gealach and roared a challenge.

_Your world needs a great defender… _The Zainan charged, mouth gaping. _Your world's in the way of harm… _Gealach ducked to the right, spinning and firing Mhean Oiche as he did. _You want a romantic life, a fairy tale that's full of charm… _The round glanced off of the Zainan's mask, knocking the Grimm sideways.

_Beware that the light is fading… _Gealach swung Mhean Oiche, fully removing the wounded limb from the Grimm. _Beware as the dark returns… _The Zainan screeched. It belched out a burst of flame, nearly engulfing Gealach. _This world is unforgiving, even brilliant lights will cease to burn… _The Zainan began coiling around Gealach, refusing to give him enough room to swing his claymore.

_Legends scatter… _Gealach reached out, grabbing a fistful of the Zainan with Realta. _Day and night will sever… _He cycled to freeze dust, slowly encasing the Grimm in ice. _Hope and peace are lost forever… _The Zainan broke away, shattering the thick ice as it escaped Gealach's frosty clutches.

_This will be the day we've waited for… _Gealach steadied Mhean Oiche as the Zainan circled around, hissing and growling. _This will be the day we open up the door… _The two combatants stared each other down, neither making the first move. _I don't want to hear your absolution… _The Zainan roared, belching flame as it charged at Gealach. _Hope you're ready for a revolution… _Gealach ducked under the lunge.

_Welcome to a world of new solutions… _Realta activated the Burn Dust cylinders, heating to scorching degrees on the surface. _Welcome to a world of bloody evolution… _The Dust fueled gauntlet sunk into the soft tissue of the Zainan's throat, claws anchoring themselves in the massive Grimm's windpipe. _In time, your heart will open minds… _Gealach's feet hit the ground with a solid _Thud!_ moments before he broke into a sprint. _The story will be told, and victory is in a simple soul… _

The ebon feathered teen held the Zainan out in front of him, pushing the colossal black monster through rocks, trees, and small hills with little effort. A great pair of translucent obsidian wings opened up on Gealach's back as he screamed out in frustration and heartbreak. The Zainan's throat burned away and it's skull caved on a stone simultaneously, ending the creature.

Gealach felt the rage subside, the red tint leaving, a hollow ache replacing it. The strength of will the overwhelming rage granted fell away, taking with it the strength of Gealach's semblance. The weight of Realta and Mhean Oiche became too much, and the weapons dropped to the grass. Both pauldrons followed. Gealach sank to the ground, exhausted beyond weeping. The sun crested the horizon, bathing the forest and the trail of destruction left by Gealach in a golden light.

Many hours later, an empty, jet black humanoid entered the clearing Gealach sat in. One would mistake it for a mannequin, were it not for the distinctive markings of the Grimm all along it's body. It spotted the depressed warrior in a heartbeat, the overwhelming sadness a veritable magnet for the strange Grimm.

It began to change shape. The head became a grotesque fusion of man and bird, a half formed beak and scattered feathers for a mouth and hair. The left arm became swollen, a gargantuan avian claw for a hand. The right hand developed a massive sword and launchable spines. The feet turned weighted, avian and twisted. The abhorrent mockery of Gealach stared at it's prey, a hungry glint to it's eyes. It began its slow march towards the unmoving faunus.

If Gealach saw the Doppelganger, he made no indication of it. The humanoid Grimm stalked over to Gealach, raising it's crude blade above it's head. Gealach merely inclined his head, exposing his neck. The jagged bone sword descended towards Gealach's neck.

He closed his eyes in anticipation of the final blow. Opening them, he saw the Doppelganger's copy of Mhean Oiche trapped in a glyph. It's mockery of Realta also lay in a Capture Glyph, preventing the mimic Grimm from escaping or harming Gealach.

Weiss blitzed towards Gealach, Glyphs propelling her at enormous speeds. She speared Myrtenaster through the Doppelganger's eye, instantly killing it. The Glyphs fell, allowing the corpse to fall. Weiss wheeled towards Gealach.

"Why are you here?" he asked the alabaster heiress.

"You dunce! You scared me! Why wouldn't I be!?"

"You hate me," the raven faunus growled.

"What? No I don't!"

"Oh, so 'carrion feeder' is a term of endearment now," Gealach snarled.

Weiss looked at Gealach in confusion. "And just where exactly did you hear that?"

"In the dance hall, while you were talking to your boyfriend. You weren't exactly quiet," he bit.

"Wait, what? I don't have a…"

"Oh really? Then what's Fishstick?"

"He has a name," Weiss argued.

"So, you don't deny it?"

"I do deny it!"

"You're not convincing me here," Gealach challenged.

"He is NOT my boyfriend! I just don't want you being rude to my friends!"

At that moment, Ruby and Neptune stepped into the clearing. Ruby had been chatting with Neptune, but was now staring at the decaying corpse of the Zainan in bewilderment.

"Hey guys, I- how did you do that," she demanded, staring at Gealach with her infamous puppy dog eyes.

"Now is not a good time Ruby," he growled. He looked up to glare at the intruder, only to see two. "Well ain't this just perfect!? Let's get Fishstick in on this too, since he's already here!"

"Hey!" Neptune cried out in indignity. "I am not a fishstick! And what is this all about?"

"Gealach! I said to be more polite," Weiss snapped. She spun to face Neptune, ordering, "And since you're here now, you can apologize for being so rude to Gealach!"

Gealach's bitterness was mixed with confusion. He cocked an eyebrow, his gaze flitting between Weiss and Neptune. "What do you mean," he queried, looking at Weiss now, "That Fishstick can apologize? Unless my ears are failing, you called me a carrion feeder."

"I never called you that," Neptune commented, trying to preserve his shaky relationship with Gealach.

"Fishstick, if you didn't notice, I just killed one of the largest Grimm on Remnant. I did not ask for your opinion. I do not want your opinion. I'm already mad, don't make it worse," the feathered warrior promised.

Weiss shook her head in exasperation. "Didn't I just- oh forget the dance hall, I made a comment on your great skill at the piano. Neptune boasted that he could play better than 'That carrion feeder.' I yelled at him, and all you heard was my yelling."

"So you're telling me that I heard the words 'A carrion feeder' come out of your mouth because you were angry with Fishstick?"

"Precisely! Wait, I just told you not to call him that!"

"So, I never heard your answer three months ago."

"What?"

Gealach looked Weiss square in the eye, his face determined, honest, and caring. "Weiss, will you be my girlfriend?"

Neptune could be heard, exclaiming, "Aww, come on!"

* * *

><p><strong>Hey guys!<strong>

**Sorry this took so long to get out. There are three reasons.**

**One: Transition. My Kid Icarus story, and my first fancfic. I restarted it completely, same concept, same characters, better writing. Originally called Rise of the Old Ones, it was a rushed and terrible story.**

**Two: New puppy. My family recently got a rottweiler puppy named Daisy, she's seven weeks old, adorable, and an absolute handful. Teething. On everything. Hands are preferred chew toy.**

**Three: Terraria. Damn you Redigit for making such a good game. I've been playing a lot of Terraria with a friend lately, which means less writing. Sorry!**

**The song in question during the dance would have been Mirror Mirror. Just makes sense. The song during the fight against the Grimm was the accoustic version of This Will be the Day. Very good song. So if anyone was wondering, there you go.**

**So anyways, reviews and all that are appreciated. Enjoy the story! Until next time.**


	10. Chapter 6: Silent Night

Chapter 6: Silent Night

In Warehouse Twenty Four of the Schnee Dust Refinery, Jacob sat across a table from Wilhelm, the latter cleaning an arm cannon. A wicked pair of clamps fashioned into jaws sat on either side of the barrel. The whole weapon was painted to resemble a draconic Grimm. The former pulled out his revolver daggers and began to polish them in similar fashion.

"The Avenger is quite powerful, if lacking in skill," Wilhelm commented.

"Indeed, but his heart has been broken. I fear that the strength of the Avenger is no more," retorted Jacob.

"The White Fang seek to slay the Schnee Heiress. If they were to achieve their goal..."

"That would be akin to plastering a band aid over a gaping chest wound."

"Perhaps, but what if she was taken alive?"

* * *

><p>Gealach looked Weiss eye to eye. "Weiss, will you be my girlfriend?"<p>

Weiss was taken aback. "I- I can't... father would never approve."

"I would have been fine if you had just said no," Gealach stated in a cold monotone, icicles practically dripping from his words. "You are such a DADDY'S GIRL," he snapped, voice escalating with each word. "Daddy this, Daddy that, don't talk bad about Daddy, I'll tell my Daddy," the feathered teen mocked. "If you really wanted Daddy's approval, you would have already married one of those Dust damned suitors! Ask yourself this: What do you approve of?" The raven faunus snatched his mask from the heiress's grasp and jammed it on his face.

Ruby, Neptune, and Weiss stared in shock as Gealach stormed out of the clearing, collecting Realta, Mhean Oiche, and his pauldrons on his way out. Weiss collapsed to her knees in utter disbelief.

Ruby shattered the silence with a verbal hammer. "What was that? What did he say to you? What did you say to him?"

Weiss remained silent, numb. As Ruby made to press the matter, Neptune intercepted her. "Give her time," he suggested.

Ruby nodded. She wordlessly helped her partner to her feet, offering silent support. Weiss absently accepted. She leaned heavily on the young brunette, her mind reeling. Her steps, shaky and small, stretched the trek back to Beacon greatly. The sun, just over the horizon when they began, was three quarters through it's arc by the time the trio returned to the prestigious academy.

As Ruby and Weiss shuffled towards their dorm, Neptune split off to find Gealach. The blue haired teen wound his way through Beacon until he stood in front of the door marked GMMA. Oddly enough, not a single sound escaped the normally cacophanic room.

_Thump, thump, thump! _Neptune pounded on the door in rapid succession. Some scuffling and hushed whispers led to the door cracking open. Meri's gilded eyes stared out, assessing Neptune.

"It's Neptune," she called back. "Do I let him in?"

"Tell him to go away," came the reply. It was Gealach's voice, but hoarse and drained.

"Sorry, but you have to go," Meri told Neptune.

"Not until I talk to bird brain," Neptune retorted.

Creaking as someone stood up from a bed caught Neptune's attention. Meri stepped away, quickly replaced by the looming masked visage of Gealach. Bloodshot eyes glared out from behind the black marked Grimm mask.

"Get lost, Fishstick," he snarled.

"Weiss could barely walk," Neptune snapped, ignoring Gealach's demand. "Go talk to her, right now."

Gealach visibly flinched. "When she decides on what she wants, we will speak. No sooner."

"I'll pass it along then," Neptune growled. "But next time you two talk, you are apologizing. Clear?" He left before the feathered teen could reply.

"Crystal," Gealach grumbled as he glowered at the departing figure. When Neptune rounded the corner, Gealach slammed the door shut.

* * *

><p>The next day, Gealach woke up feeling drained. Everything that could move ached. He barely made it out of bed without falling over. Stumbling his way down to the showers with his uniform in hand, the argent eyed raven contemplated the previous day.<p>

"_I may have been too hard on her," _he mused. _"She needed to hear it, but not like that… too late now. She probably doesn't want to talk to me again. I wouldn't blame her."_

Stepping into the shower, Gealach silently cursed both himself, for lashing out at Weiss, and Raureif, for trying to control his daughter's entire life. Out, dressed, and back in the room within twenty minutes, one would never be able to tell that the warrior in training was exhausted beyond reason.

He quietly collected his stationary and made his way to breakfast. Abden, Morgun, and Meri managed to beat him their, already at the usual spots. Morgun and Meri chatted animatedly with Yang and Nora while Abden threw jokes around and slurped up a bowl of sugar coated cereal. Gealach made his way over to the counter, where the cooks gave him the usual massive portions. When Gealach sat down, he didn't immediately begin devouring everything on the plate. Rather, he stared a hole in the pile of food, barely even touching his fork.

Abden looked over from his bowl of cereal. "Whoa whoa whoa," he commented. Morgun and Meri looked over at their leader, worry quickly splattered across their faces. "Gealach, what's up? You never take this long eating."

"Nothing you don't already know," Gealach grumbled. "Just your usual dose of post-rage guilt."

"Gealach, it's sounds like that's what she needed to hear," Meri assured.

"Yeah, the bitch needed a slap in the face," Morgun added.

"Would you just stop," Gealach pleaded. "I don't need reassuring, I don't need counseling. I know exactly what happened." Meri opened her mouth to speak, but stopped at Gealach's raised finger. "I don't need help. There is nothing to help with."

"If you ask me," Abden commented, ignoring Gealach's request, "she was more interested in Neptune anyways."

"I'd rather leave Fishstick out of this," Gealach growled.

As Gealach finished speaking, Weiss sat down at her usual spot at the table. She spent the entire time stealing glances at Gealach, who made a point of avoiding eye contact with the frosty heiress.

"Hey Weiss," Ruby smiled.

"Hi Ruby."

"Heyo Gealach," the red cloaked brunette grinned.

"Ruby."

Ruby frowned, her obvious attempt to get the two talking failing miserably. "So, did you two hear about the project professor Port is giving us today? We're getting assigned partners!"

"Is that so," Gealach muttered.

"Yeah! I hear he has the groups already decided!"

"I imagine that he would have to do that, if he's giving us the project and assigning us partners today," Gealach sighed, his words dripping sarcasm.

The silence between the monochrome duo was palpable, and quickly infected the liveliness of the cafeteria, bringing conversations to a grinding halt.

The silence was broken by the shrieking of bell. Gealach stood from his untouched plate, gathering his stationary and meandering over to the doors. The feathered teen ambled to Port's lecture hall. Inside, he sat at his usual seat in the back corner, saved for him by Meri. Morgun and Abden walked in moments later, not bickering to the class's surprise. Port himself entered the room mere seconds before the bell rang.

"Good morning students," the boisterous professor greeted in his self confident, borderline obnoxious manner. "I hope you are well rested! For the next two weeks, you and a partner will be working on a project!"

Several students began glancing around the room, seeking their friends eyes and nodding.

"I will be assigning your partners," the portly professor interrupted. Several audible sighs sounded across the lecture hall. "The groups are: Cardin Winchester and Russel Thrush, Sky Lark and Dove Bronzewing, Yang Xiao-Long and Jaune Arc, Ruby Rose and Blake Belladonna, Pyhrra Nikos and Abden Dammarung, Meri Mesi and Morgun Sar, Lie Ren and Nora Valkyrie,"

Both Gealach and Weiss felt their breath grow shorter and shorter as each group was named, never hearing their own.

"And last but not least, Weiss Schnee and Gealach Solas," concluded Port. "You are to make either a labeled diagram or a model of a Grimm of your choice, and write a three page report on your chosen species. Bonus points for a rare or exotic species."

Glancing over at Ruby's table, Gealach saw Yang snickering and Weiss turning red as Ruby's cloak. Blake and Ruby were already talking, likely discussing what to do their project on. Shifting his gaze, the masked student saw Abden winking at Pyhrra playfully. The redhead merely shot a wistful glance at her unfortunate leader. Jaune was being dragged by Yang via his hood over to where Ruby and Blake still sat. Morgun and Meri were jotting down notes. Gealach glanced at their paper. At the top, _Megalopod _sprawled across the page in Morgun's distinct calligraphy.

Sighing, Gealach moved to an empty table in between his table and Team Ruby's. Weiss had the same idea, already making her way to the same table. She delicately sat down beside the silver eyed pianist.

"I guess we have to work together then," Weiss noted. Gealach opted to say nothing, instead nodding. "And you will continue with your vow of silence, making our project needlessly difficult, won't you?" The ebony feathered teen nodded again.

"So... what should we make? What Grimm?"

"I'll make a model, you write the report. You pick the Grimm."

Weiss stared into space, lost in thought. "How about the Zainan?"

Gealach nodded in confirmation, sketching an outline of the draconic Grimm on blank paper.

Gealach spent his free time working on the Zainan model while Weiss typed the report, the pair steeped in uncomfortable silence. When he wasn't working on the model, he disappeared into Vale for hours on end. Halfway through the second week, Yang confronted the claymore wielder as he wandered the streets.

As he walked across the entrance to an alleyway, Gealach felt a fist connect with the side of his head. Next thing he knew, he lay sprawled out on the sidewalk.

"Alright, tell me what's going on," the brawler ordered. "Ruby says you asked Weiss out, and she rejected you. You better have a damn good explanation for avoiding your project partner and my teammate."

"I would be fine if she had rejected me," he bit back as he returned to his feet.

"What do you mean?"

"She said she couldn't because that's not something her father would agree with." A hint of venom laced his words, trumped by sorrow. "I don't care what Raureif thinks, we already know that. I care about what she thinks."

Unbeknownst to either party, Weiss listened in on the discussion from around a corner. The heiress slumped against the wall.

The day before the project was due, the still frosty duo was adding the final touches to the report and model after school. The near perpetual tense silence was broken by soft singing, coming from Gealach.

"I am standing on the edge of returning or just running away, I'm letting myself look the other way. And the hardest part in all of this is: I don't think I know my way back home. Is it worth the journey, or do I let my heart settle here? How cold have I become? I didn't want to lose you by what I'd done, caught in the grey."

The following quiet felt less passive aggressive, more companionable. Tension still tainted the air.

The due date came around, and few groups weren't ready for it. In fact, only the members of Team Cardinal did poorly. Morgun and Meri made a cross section diagram of the Megalopod, a massive squid. Jaune and Yang had a high detail sketch of an Ursa. Ruby and Blake made a model Jeagerfang, a violent jaguar Grimm. Abden and Phyrra sketched out a Death Stalker. Ren and Nora made a model Ursa Major, miraculously free of anything Nora may have tried to add.

Gealach stood, model Zainan in hand. Weiss wordlessly rose beside him. The report crinkled between her hands. They set the completed project on the desk of a very surprised Port.

"How were you able to make this? No one has killed or captured a Zainan in recorded history, and photographs are blurry at best. Not to mention, the survivors of these weren't exactly making detailed descriptions," the portly professor queried.

"I killed one," Gealach replied flatly.

"How?"

"I was angry."

"Details boy, details! Tell the story!"

The feathered student sighed. "I drug it by the throat with Realta set to burn dust. I crushed it's skull and charred it's neck."

"That's a terrible story!"

"More accurate than any of yours."

The class burst into laughter. Abden in particular was in hysterics, drawing a concerned glance from Meri. As Port attempted to rein in the students, Gealach slunk back to the table he and Weiss had shared for the past two weeks. The thought of sitting anywhere else just didn't sit well with the mercury eyed raven.

Weiss, unsurprisingly, sat down with her team. The rapier wielding heiress smiled more, though not all of the smiles quite reached her eyes. Her team either did not notice or did not comment.

Abden elbowed Gealach in the ribs. "Hey, are you there? Stop spacing out," he chuckled.

"Sorry," Gealach muttered as he returned to the usual spot. "Just a lot on my mind."

"Really? Looks to me like there isn't too many things on your mind at all. No, I'd say it's one thing in particular," Abden chided, pointedly glancing at a certain girl in white.

"Alright, you have me there."

"So talk to her. Maybe take some flowers or chocolate or something, but you'll never figure this out if don't talk to her."

Gealach threw a sidelong look at his friend and partner. "Remind me why I should be taking relationship advice from you? Last I checked, you were flirting with a different girl every class."

"That's exactly why," Meri giggled as she joined the discussion. "Abden might never get a serious relationship, but he's out there enough to know what people think of him."

"Not to mention I happen to be a professional lady killer," the indigo haired teen gloated.

"Explain why you showed up to the dance alone then," Gealach countered.

"I- uh- um- I couldn't pick just one girl. All the others would feel left out!"

"Why didn't you dance with anyone then?"

"See previous statement."

"Last I saw," Morgun butted in, "You were getting turned down left right and center."

"Comments from the peanut gallery are NOT appreciated," Abden hissed.

"So that's why you seemed so down the night before the dance," Meri concluded.

"Don't even go there," Gealach retorted. "As I recall, you had no fewer than eight guys and a girl pining after you for a week!"

"Don't remind me," Morgun growled. "She was so polite in telling them off. I just wanted to swing Lysandi at them, chase them off the north cliffs! Some people need to learn the meaning of 'no.'"

"On another note, we have missions in about a week," the team leader interrupted. "No clue what we're being assigned.

"Oh boy, the options," the flame eyed flirt commented.

"Should be interesting," Meri commented.

"I hope I get to cut something," the bear faunus gleefully exclaimed.

You'll find out in a week," Gealach confirmed. His eyes drifted towards Weiss, who chatted animatedly with her teammates. _"I hope it'll be hard enough work that I won't have time to think."_

* * *

><p><strong>Hey guys, how's it going?<strong>

**Real quick, before I forget, Gealach was singing the first verse from "The Grey" by Icon for Hire. Fit the whole theme well in my opinion.**

**Anyways, not a whole lot to say here, you know the drill. So yeah. Until next time.**


	11. Chapter 7: Grimm Resolve

Chapter 7: Grimm Resolve

Jacob and Wilhelm sat at a table in a cluttered warehouse, Roman Torchwick seated across from the two. White Fang grunts swarming around the chaotic building, performing various tasks. A pair of unmanned Paladin mechs stood in a corner with catwalks leading to the cockpits.

"So tell me again why you wanted to meet me," Roman demanded.

"We have information on where the Schnee heiress frequents by her lonesome," Jacob replied.

"And how does that benefit either of us?"

"You will gain further support from the White Fang, and we will further a project of ours," Wilhelm explained.

"Very well then," Roman conceded. "I'm listening."

* * *

><p>Anticipation and awkwardness stained the week, dragging it out until hours felt like weeks and days felt like years.<p>

"So we're shadowing a veteran hunter? Not, you know, doing a mission on our own? Lame," Abden griped as Gealach sifted through the varied missions on his scroll.

"I doubt that we're just going to watch," Morgun grinned. "I mean, come on. Whoever we get couldn't be that boring, could they?"

"Don't jinx it," Gealach muttered.

"Didn't know you were superstitious," teased Abden.

"Not. Just wary," the feathered claymore wielder corrected.

"Any good ones so far," Meri queried, cutting off the flame eyed spear wielder.

"One. It's a reconnaissance mission in the Glass Desert. Ever been?"

Meri's eyes widened. "Yes, yesyesyes! I competed in the Castle of Glass!"

Morgun cocked an eyebrow. "The Castle of Glass? Do tell."

The golden eyed hoplite launched into her explanation immediately. "You've seriously never heard of it? The Castle is a gladiatorial style arena, where competitors from anywhere can face off against other fighters or waves of the Creatures of Grimm. It's in the middle of the Glass Desert, on a small mountain with only one way up. Very well defended, lots of hunters find jobs on the walls of that place."

She would have gone on longer, had Gealach not interrupted with, "Any objections?" He was met with a unanimous "No."

The four waited amongst the throng of students, outside by the airship for the hunter they would be shadowing.

"I bet it's a real small guy, fast and such," Abden gambled.

"Really? I'd put my Lien on a tough one," Morgun countered.

"You can stop making bets now," Gealach cut in. "The hunters are here."

As the myriad hunters found the groups they were to work alongside for the next several days, one in particular stuck out to the four. A bull faunus with a pair of long horns and a tail, easily standing two meters tall and weighing well over seventy two kilograms wearing blue jeans, leather boots, a white shirt, and a brown leather duster sauntered through the crowd. A long, clip fed wood stock rifle lay slung across his back, and a woven straw western style hat hung from a cord around his neck. Gentle yet firm brown eyes scanned the conglomeration of students and hunters, finally settling on team Gamma. He pushed his way towards them, coming to a stop in front of Gealach, the two completely level in height.

"Not often I meet some'un I can look at without craning my neck," the bull faunus chuckled, his voice carrying a thick western accent. "Ozpin wasn't kidding when he said to look for the Grimm mask. Name's Russet." He extended a hand to the claymore wielder

"Gealach," the raven faunus replied as he took Russet's hand in a firm, yet not crushing, handshake.

"I'm Abden," the flame eyed teen greeted.

"Call me Morgun," greeted the armoured bear faunus.

"Nice to meet you. I'm Meri," the hoplite smiled.

Russet's grin grew as he pulled the hat on his head. "Well, we have a mission to go on, so let's get moving!"

The airship ride was spent with Russet getting to learn more about the team, and vice versa. When the conversation began to die down, the bull pulled Abden aside.

"The mask makes him awful hard to read," the cowboy-esque hunter stated. "But even I can tell something's up. Mind sharing?"

"Girl problems," Abden cryptically whispered. "It would be unfair to tell you. Not my story."

"Thanks, friend."

Hours passed, whittled away with word games and storytelling. Russet came to be fast friends with the whole team. Despite this, Gealach refused to say if he "had his eye on anyone," as the bull faunus put it. The airship touched down in Vacuo at noon.

"Alright, no time to waste," Russet beamed. "Let's get moving, the spot we're taking a look at is a couple hours walk from here!"

About twenty minutes out from the city, the weather became blisteringly hot. Sand crunched under the quintet's feet. Abden began channeling his aura, cooling the area around him in a small radius. The only one who seemed unaffected by the oppressive desert heat was Russet. The peaceful bull faunus strolled along the dunes without a care in the world.

A large, well armoured Rista burst from the sand. It chittered aggressively, observing the team. Russet now had a care.

"Well? Why are you four just standing there? Show me your moves," Russet ordered.

Morgun charged, pulling Lysandi off her back in axe form. She delivered a vicious downward chop, only for the powerful weapon bounced off of the centipede's tough exoskeleton. The bear faunus barely dodged as hooked, bladed mandibles snapped shut where she once stood.

"It hates the cold," Meri called out.

"Abden," Gealach yelled. "Nightfall!"

The male half of team Gamma rushed forward. The flame eyed teen drew Tageslicht, telescoping the spear to it's full length as his orbs turned icy blue. The point of the spear split down the middle, one half sliding down the shaft to the base of the spear. Both points extended, becoming foot-long blades.

Gealach unslung Mhean Oiche, shifting the massive sword into railgun form. The raven faunus dropped to one knee, shouldering the stock of his magnetic cannon. He fired three rounds in rapid succession, cracking the bone mask, drawing an agonized howl from the Rista.

The bone white centipede slowed to a crawl as Abden radiated immense cold. The Atlassian warrior snaked under the Grimm, firing Tageslicht into it's underside. Sparks flew everywhere as the dual bladed glaive slashed at the Rista's underbelly. Abden fired Tageslicht repeatedly, continually, spinning the weapon faster with each round. His eyes turned frozen blue, and his glaive began to glow icy cyan.

Gealach leaped back, calling out, "Horizon!"

Morgun charged forward, Lysandi shifting into sword form. While Abden continued his assault on the Rista's underside, Morgun slashed at the spiderweb crack in the Grimm's mask. The Rista howled each time the wicked blade snuck through the cracks.

"Let's finish this! Morning Moon and Fading Day!"

Abden and Meri tag teamed freezing the centipede Grimm to the sand, Meri using cyan Dust bullets with Imera while Abden radiated cold. Frost and ice locked the Rista in place.

Gealach sheathed Mhean Oiche in claymore form while Morgun changed Lysandi to axe form. The feathered warrior cycled through Realta's dust, settling on Purple Dust.

Gealach grabbed Morgun, lifting her by her cuirass. He threw the axe wielding bear faunus, amplifying her momentum with Kinetic Dust. A second attempt at the downward slash cleaved the immobile Rista's head in two.

Russet let out a long, low whistle. "That was some teamwork! I'm thinking you'll make fine hunters!"

Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm sauntered over a dune to regard the quintet, their weapons present but sheathed.

"Quite the show, wouldn't you say," Jacob commented.

"Yes, yes it was," Wilhelm agreed.

"You two," Gealach growled. "What are you doing here?"

Russet looked between Gealach and the two intruders quizzically. "You know them?"

"Yes, but I barely know anything about them, and they know an enormous amount about me."

The clamps on Wilhelms cannon slammed together. "Now then, time to spill the beans. The job was fake, orchestrated for the Avenger and his team."

Russet leaned over to Morgun. "Who's the Avenger?"

"According to these windbags, it's Gealach," she whispered back.

"Jacob and I have a message for you, Avenger. The polished teeth of hatred will gnaw on frostbitten flesh."

"What the Dust is that supposed to mean," Gealach demanded.

He received no answer. Instead, the Brothers Grimm walked away, leaving behind four very confused students and one completely bamboozled hunter.

"Well, if the job was fake, we better get back to Beacon," Abden concluded.

"Good idea," Russet agreed.

They called an airship out to pick them up. The ride back was uneventful, save for a near encounter with a Giant Nevermore, in which the colossal bird took one look at the airship and turned the other way.

Back at Beacon, Russet left in search of Ozpin, leaving Gealach and team to do as they pleased for the day. Abden, in a rare moment of consideration and wisdom, possibly boredom, chose to whittle away at his workload. Meri sketched, drawing scenes of hunters and Grimm locked in combat. Morgun made her way to the practice arena. Gealach lost himself in a novel. Night crept up quickly, soon sending the quartet to sleep.

All four were roughly roused from their sleep by squealing alarms. Gealach rushed to the window, throwing open the blinds to see what triggered the early warning system. Outside, a nightmare made real ran rampant.

Grimm flooded the city, streaming from a hole in the wall. Citizens fled their homes in terror as hunter teams spread out through the city to cull the encroaching obsidian swarm. In the plaza that served as the Grimm's entry point, teams Ruby and Juniper fought like demons to keep the Grimm at bay. They were met with minimal success. Several airships strafed the monsters with continuous fire, cutting the fiends down like grass in a field. But for every one that died, six took it's place.

Gealach dropped the news on his team. "We've got Grimm. In the city. Right now. Get your gear on, we're going hunting."

Within minutes, Team Gamma was equipped and en route to the fighting.

When they arrived, the scene had scaled up from nightmare to cataclysm. A sea of black bodies surrounded Teams Ruby and Juniper, crushing the life out of the two beacons of light. The circle of Grimm slowly tightened around the octet.

Gealach unslung Mhean Oiche, the massive sword changing structure as the rave faunus took aim._ Whir- CLANG!_ A path opened up as a round of bird shaped steel tore through Grimm like wet paper. The pulsing of the MACC rang out again and again as Gealach ran down the avenue of dead monsters, ripping apart more of the fiends with each ring of his cannon.

Abden grabbed Tageslicht off his back, telescoping the weapon to full length. He followed Gealach, stabbing any Grimm that got within reach. Or at least, as many as he could. A smaller circle formed around the spear wielder as he vainly fought to reach his leader.

Morgun unsheathed Lysandi as she unleashed a hellish war cry. The bear faunus charged at the boiling black mass, her axe curving gracefully through the air, rending Grimm limb from limb. The sharp edge of Lysandi was not enough to deter the Creatures of Grimm, as indicated by her low aura levels by the time Morgun finally reached Abden, who exhibited similar aura levels.

Meri fared better defensively, though offensively she suffered. Her shield and semblance allowed her to block efficiently, though too many sought her blood to stop everything. The Grimm kept her firmly on the defensive. She used Imera's sub machine gun form to deadly effect, the weapon's low accuracy made obsolete by the sheer number of enemies.

Gealach set Realta to shock Dust whilst shifting Mhean Oiche to claymore form, leaving himself open to attack. A Beowolf took full advantage of this, slashing the raven faunus diagonally across his chest, throwing him back. Gealach skidded and flipped onto his feet. A ragged tear ran down his shirt. Blood welled up from an equally ragged slash stretching all the way across Gealach's chest, staining his shirt with crimson, running from his lightly armoured right shoulder to the bottom of his ribs.

Russet raced down the streets, head lowered and horns forward. A Creep lay skewered on the sharp protrusions, creating a macabre ram, allowing the bull faunus to knock the other Grimm aside with little effort. The Creep flew from his horns as the bull faunus screeched to a halt, hitting the pavement with a wet slap. A sharp crack sounded the end of it's life. Black blood stained the previously pristine bone protrusions.

The bull faunus climbed up a building, pulling his rifle from his back once he reached the roof. He shouldered the traditional weapon. Taking aim at the Grimm in the plaza, Russet didn't realize a Nevermore had noticed him until colossal ebony quills shattered the concrete he stood on. He leaped to the ground, aim shifting to the Nevermore as it circled around for another volley. When the massive black bird hovered to fire it's feathers, Russet unloaded a clip into it's open mouth, bullets travelling straight and true into it's brain.

Abden fired Tageslicht. The spear jumped forward, burying itself in a Despot's stomach. A second Despot made to bite down on the flame eyed spear wielder. Morgun beheaded it. A third and fourth charged the two, saliva dripping from gaping jaws. While the normally ambiguous duo danced a deadly dance with the two immediate threats, the four remaining members of the Despot pack circled around, cutting off all escape routes, a cruel gleam in each's four eyes.

Meri glanced around. No fewer than five Ursa surrounded her, backed by a Rista with a bad temper. She reloaded Imera with one hand, letting the empty magazine drop to the pavement. The sakura haired girl pulled the trigger, unloading a hail of flaming rounds on the lead Ursa as it swiped at her. One claw ripped open the golden eyed hoplite's shoulder as the Grimm fell dead. The wound bled profusely, encouraging the remaining Grimm. They charged. As they charged, she fired.

Gealach punched the Beowolf that had just slashed him, sending electricity through the wolf-like Grimm's body, burning it from the inside. As the pack rushed forward, Gealach swung Mhean Oiche left and right, rending anything that strayed too near.

Russet fired his rifle into the thinning throng of Grimm, focusing on the ones near members of Team Gamma. The last thing to go through the Rista circling Meri's mind was a fully jacketed .45 caliber round. The four Despots ready to ambush Morgun and Abden met a similar fate. The Beowolves around Gealach shared the previous victims lack of brain tissue soon after. Black bodied aberrations fell one after another as the myriad hunters cut the creatures down like trees.

A smaller airship hovered nearby, hatch open. The third-year team, team Coffee, dropped out, immediately beginning to massacre the Grimm. Yatsuhashi used his massive curved blade to cut the fiends to pieces. Fox's bladed gauntlets ripped through monster after monster. Velvet kicked with great power, her faunus heritage granting her extra leg strength and overall speed. Coco wielded her Minigun Briefcase with cold lethality, beating those that were too close to death and shredding those that weren't with a hail of lead and misery.

Glynda arrived, using a combination of telekinesis and Dust to destroy the Grimm, finishing off the swarm. She picked up the pieces of asphalt with her Semblance, setting the heavy sedimentary stone back in the crater it came from with a massive scowl painted on her face.

Medics arrived within minutes of the breach being sealed. They tended to the worst of the wounds first, wrapping bandages around Gealach's and Meri's chest and shoulder respectively. Russet received a splint on his left shin, which he had unknowingly broken when the Nevermore destroyed the roof. Not a single hunter escaped the fight without bruises, cuts, or scrapes.

Team Gamma found their way to Russet. "They give a body count yet," Gealach demanded.

"Not yet," the bull faunus replied. "But from what I can see, it ain't pretty."

"How not pretty are we talking?"

"A few doz- You better not be blaming yourself," Russet exclaimed. "You know as well as I do no one in these walls expected this!"

"Gealach, the Grimm got through the wall," Meri explained, trying to comfort her leader. "People were going to die. If we hadn't helped here, how many more would have?"

"I don't know," the claymore wielder answered. "Right now though, sleep is sounding like a damn good idea."

"Yeah, same boat," Abden grumbled. "And maybe a hot shower. Grimm blood STINKS."

"What worries me though is that the Grimm got through," Russet mumbled. "The cuss-hounds never managed it before, so why now?"

"No point dwelling on it," Morgun chided. "They got through, we killed them and forced them back out. Leave the hows and whys of the breach to people like Ozpin. They seem to love that stuff."

"Alright, fair enough," Russet conceded as a yawn escaped his lips. "Like Gealach said, sleep is sounding good right about now."

"You got a place to stay," the raven faunus asked.

"Yeah, I live about a twenty minute's walk away from here."

"Alright then, see you later."

The two parties went to their respective residences, heading straight to bed.

* * *

><p>Weiss wandered the streets of Vale, Myrtenaster forgotten in her locker. Gealach's feather lay loosely clutched in one hand. The alabaster heiress's thoughts drifted little, the raven's scathing question reverberating in her head.<p>

"_I don't know what I want. No one truly gave me the option," _she mused.

The clicking of a gun cocking behind the alabaster heiress snapped her out of her internal monologue. She reflexively reached for Myrtenaster, only to find that it did not lay slung from her hip. Weiss felt the cold ring of a gun barrel pressing into her back.

"Hello there Miss Schnee," a low voice growled menacingly. "If you don't mind, you're coming with us."

Ruby watched the whole event from down the street. She had left Crescent Rose in her locker as well. The energetic brunette sprinted full speed back to Beacon, the image of Weiss with a gun pressed into her back burned into her mind.

The crimsonette caught the airship back to the school, barely waiting for it to dock before leaping off to find her team. First place to check: the library.

Just as Ruby was about to fly into the library, the doors opened and she ran into a masked raven faunus.

Ruby began babbling, trying to spill the whole story in as few breaths as possible. "White Fang! Wait, Gealach? Listen, bad news. Weiss was walking, and she didn't have Myrtenaster, and I was following her, and I didn't have Crescent Rose, which is really not normal, and she had a feather in her hand and she looked lost in thought andthenthereweretheseguysinGrimmmasks-"

Gealach cut her off with a hand over her mouth. "Stop, think, speak. Once more, slowly please," he requested.

Ruby took a deep breath. "Weiss was kidnapped," she uttered almost silently.

Gealach didn't speak, didn't move. The only indicator that he heard came in the form of his aura beginning to coalesce on his back, the outline of ebony and argent feathered wings forming. His gaze hardened.

"The polished teeth of hatred will gnaw on frostbitten flesh," he muttered. "Who took her?"

* * *

><p><strong>Hey guys!<strong>

**Again, sorry this took so long to get out. Had to vary the way I wrote things and all, and drawing, and working on another story besides this one. It adds up.**

**Hoping my use of the kidnapping thing isn't a problem. And I forgot to say it last chapter, and it applies again this chapter, but I'm not sorry. At all.**

**Anyways, as always, reviews are appreciated. Hope you're enjoying the story, and I hope you keep enjoying the story! This is a blast to write.**

**So yeah. Again, sorry for the wait. Until next time.**


	12. Chapter 8: Black Ice

Chapter 8: Black Ice

The Brothers Grimm sat at a round table in a cafe, one empty seat at said table. Five minutes following, a teenage girl with braided waist length crimson hair took the empty seat. She wore a scarlet v-neck tank top with spaghetti straps. Black shorts adorned her legs, only reaching the top of her thighs. Below that was thigh length stockings with ebony flame motifs. On her feet were glossy obsidian high heels. A coiled whip with a barbed tip hung from her waist. Unreadable white eyes examined the two men.

"Welcome, Scharlach. I take it the mission was a success," Jacob greeted.

"Indeed it was," Scharlach replied in a seductive tone. "The poor bastard never saw it coming."

"Excellent," Wilhelm stated. "Jacob, I believe you have a new assignment for her?"

Scharlach's gaze flitted between her two superiors. Her only superiors. "Already? Not even giving me time to… play?"

"Correct," the thinner of the Brothers replied. "We need you to infiltrate Beacon, and keep an eye on someone for us. Get as close as you can." He pushed a stack of papers across the table. "Everything is already arranged. You are a transfer from Harbour Academy in Atlas."

The redhead leafed through the documents. "Who's my toy this time?"

"A faunus with black feathers in place of hair, wields a claymore. Goes by the name Gealach Solas."

"Sounds strong," she moaned. "And the end goal is?"

"We want him to join us," Wilhelm stated.

"Easy."

"Willingly," Jacob added.

"Not so much," Scharlach pouted.

* * *

><p>Gealach's gaze bored into the young brunette, his furious eyes repeating the question over and over again. "Who took her," he reiterated aloud.<p>

"It was the White Fang," Ruby replied after a moment of silence.

Gealach snarled as he whipped around, stalking towards the door, an aurora of black and silver outlining his form. Russet, hobbling around with the help of crutches, rounded the corner and crashed into the irate raven faunus. The two sprawled out on the floor, dazed. Gealach recovered first.

The claymore wielder sprang to his feet, wincing as the motion tore at the edges of the rapidly growing scar on his chest. He grabbed Russet's crutches followed by hoisting the bull faunus to his feet, returning the wooden supports to their owner.

"Where were you off to in such a hurry," the veteran hunter drawled.

"Ask Ruby," Gealach retorted as he slipped around Russet.

The rifleman cocked an eyebrow at Ruby. "The White Fang kidnapped Weiss," she reiterated. The petite girl vanished in a blur of rose petals.

"Aw, piss!" Russet immediately followed Gealach, swift despite his obvious hindrance. The bull soon caught up to the fuming raven, who leaned against a wall clutching his recently reopened wound. "This is what's gonna happen to ya if you go after her right now," the former explained.

"What do I do then," Gealach demanded. He clenched a fist, his anger thickening the air. "It's not as if I can find her if I stay here."

"Why don't you take it easy and think," Russet suggested. "Who might know where she is?'

The raven feathered warrior pondered. Neither moved for a half an hour, drawing confused stares from passing students.

Ending the long lasting silence, Gealach exclaimed, "That's it! Jacob and Wilhelm!"

"Who?"

"You remember the two men that showed up and crashed our mission, right?"

Russet nodded.

"They gave me that cryptic message, meaning they probably know who took Weiss and where she is."

"There ya go," the bull congratulated. "See what stopping for a moment and thinking got ya?"

"I'll be back," Gealach snarled.

"And yer workin yerself up again! Calm the hell down and THINK!"

Gealach froze. "You're right," he muttered. "You're right, but… but what else can I do? Like I said earlier, staying here won't do anything."

"Neither will hospitalizing yourself."

The raven feathered warrior sat on a nearby bench. "If I don't go now, Weiss will stay kidnapped for longer, but if I do go now, I run a high chance of wounding myself further."

"With an aura like yours, you should be combat ready within a week," Russet declared.

"That's one week of uselessness."

"That's one week to research, organize, and plan."

Gealach glanced up at the bull faunus. "Even so, you need to know something to make a plan."

"You need to know a whole lot more to fight," the latter countered.

"There's just no winning with you, is there?"

"Nope."

Scowling, the claymore wielder stood and returned to the library, claiming a secluded Scroll terminal. Opening the holographic device to it's largest size, he began researching the White Fang, or more specifically, the locations of their suspected operational bases.

One day passed with no results and little food or water. Then two. Then three. By day five, the cramping faded and grew rhythmically, as did the hallucinations beginning to crowd the edges of Gealach's vision. Images of the White Fang, of the Brothers Grimm, of Weiss, and of many others drifted around, causing the feathered warrior to flinch and whirl around like a madman. At lunch, Russet found him in one of the high intensity hallucinations.

Gealach glanced behind him at the sound of footsteps. Where the bull faunus stood, the raven faunus instead saw Jacob Grimm. "Here to taunt me some more," he snarled.

Russet's eyes ran over Gealach. "You idiot," he grumbled. "When I said do some research, I meant do it reasonably!"

All Gealach heard was the same message given to him in the Glass Desert. "Yeah, yeah, I get it! But what does that mean!?"

"It means taking a bloody break!"

Again, Gealach heard the same riddle. "You already said that!"

Russet stared at the exhausted warrior in confusion. "What? It should be common sense, boy."

The auditory illusion began to fade, leaving Gealach to join the senior hunter in confusion. "What should be common sense, Jacob," he spat. "Your little riddle has nothing to do with common sense!"

"Jacob? Who in blazes is Jacob?"

"YOU!"

The bull faunus sighed in exasperation. "Boy, it's me! Russet!"

Gealach's cloudy mercurial eyes began to clear. "Wha? When did you grow horns… what the… RUSSET!?" He shook his head to clear the image away. "Fuck's sake, it wasn't real."

Russet kneeled in front of the raven faunus. "What have you done to yourself?"

At that moment, Meri careened into her team leader. "Gealach! This is the third time today! Get some sleep already," she exclaimed as she drug him towards the entrance. Fatigue took it's toll, leaving the raven feathered teen to stumble along or collapse. Favouring the second option, he passed out where he stood. "Oh for goodness sake," the sakura haired girl muttered.

"Lemme help you with him," Russet offered.

"No... need," Meri grunted as she hoisted her leader's prone form on her back. "Just… call… Morgun… please…"

The rifleman oblidged, using Gealach's scroll to video call the irate bear faunus. Moments later, her face appeared on the screen.

"Yeah?" she growled.

"Morgun, Meri needs a hand with Gealach. Mind coming to the library?"

"So he finally burned out huh? HEY DAMMARUNG! Twenty Lien!"

"You two took bets," Russet demanded as the flame eyed teen appeared in the feed. He turned over the owed Lien before returning to the other side of the room.

"Yeah we did," Morgun boasted. "Abden figured he wouldn't pass out until he found the Ice Queen. He was wrong! Anyways, I'll be there in five."

True to her word, the blonde showed up in the library roughly five minutes later. She picked up Gealach's legs whilst Meri hoisted his arms, allowing the duo to gracelessly remove him from the library.

"The fool," Russet muttered as he hobbled out of the book filled building.

The next day, Gealach awoke drenched in a cold first thing he noticed was the overpowering scent of medicine. The second was that his mask was missing. Looking around, he found himself in the infirmary, two IV drips feeding into his arms. Leaning back into the pillows, he also noticed a girl in the standard Beacon uniform, her scarlet hair tucked back in a waist length ponytail braid.

"Morning," he greeted.

"Afternoon, actually," she replied. "But hello! It's nice to finally see you awake!"

"Who are you?"

"I'm a new student. I just transferred in," the redhead explained. "My name's Scharlach. What's yours?"

"Gealach," the raven feathered warrior replied. "Mind me asking why you're here?"

"I can't stand the thought of someone hurting, so I decided to stay until you woke up."

"How long was I out for?"

"The doctor said two days."

"TWO DAYS!?"

"Also, this might help you out. North east side, a diamond in the rough."

Gealach tilted his head. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Scharlach gave a sweet smile. "You'll know," she teased, delicately striding out the door.

"I have had enough of mind games," the claymore wielder grumbled as he stood. Reaching over, he ripped both IV drips out of his arm. Pulling open the cabinet by the bed revealed his clothes, washed and folded. A sudden wave of dizziness washed over Gealach, causing him to stumble and fall as he dressed himself.

Hearing the racket, the doctor ran over right away. "What are you doing? Get back in there! You have severe sleep deprivation and minor malnutrition, your body can't handle it right now!"

"Not the time to worry about me," Gealach retorted. He rose to his feet once more, pulling his shirt over his head and sliding his feet into the steel boots.

"It is absolutely time to worry about you!"

The claymore wielder pushed past the doctor. "I know where she is now," he growled.

Abden and Morgun sat on the floor, a complex board game between them. Meri lay in her bed with a book in her hands. All three jumped when the door slammed open, a maskless Gealach storming in and reclaiming the steel visage.

"Gealach," Abden exclaimed. "Holy shit, you weren't supposed to be out for another day at least!"

"It would seem I'm destroying expectations on a regular basis now," the re-masked raven commented. "I know where Weiss is."

"What? How," Morgun demanded. "You weren't exactly doing research in your sleep, and this strange girl wouldn't leave your ward!"

"When I woke up, she said to me, "North east side, a diamond in the rough," Gealach explained. "The riddle on the mission, 'Polished teeth shall gnaw on frostbitten flesh,' refers to the White Fang, that much we already know. It also refers to Weiss."

"Where is this going," Meri questioned.

"Scharlach said that she could help right before giving her obscure message. I might be grasping at straws here, but they seem to fit together."

"I think you're desperate," Morgun stated.

"I'm going to take a look regardless," Gealach countered.

"I'll go with," Abden declared. "Can't hurt to check. If we're wrong, we keep looking, and if we're right, we get to kick some ass!"

"I think I will go along too," Meri agreed. "There's nothing to lose by going."

All three turned to Morgun. "I won't order you to go as your leader," Gealach said. "I'm asking you to come as your friend."

Morgun sighed. "Fine, but if this is just some sick joke you can't say I didn't tell you so."

"Before we go," Meri interrupted, "How's your chest?"

"It's fine now," Gealach noted. "Like Russet predicted, it only took a week."

The quartet stepped out of their dorm and Abden knocked on the door of Team Ruby's. The door cracked open, mercurial eyes peeping out.

"Hey Ruby," Gealach greeted. "I think we've figured out where Weiss is."

The door opened fully as the excitable brunette tackle-hugged Gealach. "Ohmygoshohmygoshohmygosh! YANG! BLAKE!"

Yang and her wild golden mane appeared in the doorway. "We're right here, you don't need to shout, sis."

"Come on, Gealach knows where the White Fang took Weiss!"

"Think I know," the claymore wielder corrected.

One airship ride, several hours walking, and repeating the story at least three times, the septet arrived at the north east end of Vale. A warehouse in near-perfect structural condition, though graffiti and grime hid the walls, stood amongst the decrepit old buildings. The party stalked up to the door.

"Do we knock," Yang joked.

"Allow me," Gealach grinned. He remained unnervingly calm despite his outburst a week ago.

Palming the trigger, the feathered teen set Realta on Kinetic Dust._ BANG!_ A fist shaped dent appeared in the bay doors, the impact amplified by the Purple Dust._ BANG!_ The indent deepened, and sounds of frantic activity resounded from inside._ BANG! SCREEEEEE- CRASH!_ On the third hit, the entire bay door fell inwards.

Inside the warehouse, White Fang grunts scurried about to find defendable positions. In the far corner, two Atlassian Paladins whirred to life. Each member of the rescue party drew their weapons.

"So, you still skeptical," Gealach taunted Morgun.

"I might need a little more proof," the blonde bear faunus replied. "Like making one of these asshats confess."

"You know, you completely ignored Russet's suggestion," Meri commented. "Weren't we supposed to sneak in?"

"Too late now," Gealach stated.

* * *

><p><strong>So, as most of you have probably heard, Monty Oum passed away recently. Since this is likely on everybody's stories, I'm going to keep this brief. Matt at Roosterteeth said that Monty would not have wanted us to mourn, and instead do something creative. So that is what I will do, in continuing this story.<strong>

**Gealach's mood swung quite a bit from start to finish this chapter, but I think of it as the calm before the storm. Yes, the staying up and exhausting himself is almost identical to what Blake did in the canon. I made sure that Gealach suffered some actual symptoms of severe sleep deprivation beyond baggy eyes and a crabby attitude.**

**Anyways, thanks for reading, and don't forget to leave a review. Help improving is always appreciated! Until next time.**


	13. Chapter 9: Snow White Midnight

Chapter 9: Snow White Midnight

Scharlach sat in her dorm, scroll in hand. On the screen, a live feed of Wilhelm played.

"Scharlach, what news have you?"

"The Avenger burned himself out two days ago," she stated, her milky eyes glittering. "I hinted at the Schnee's location, which seemed to have revitalized our target."

"You may have given yourself away," Wilhelm reprimanded. "If the Avenger catches on…"

"I am aware of the consequences of failure," Scharlach interjected, acutely conscious of the scars punishment for her last accident left her with. "After observing him, I feel the Avenger will not give it much thought. It is a risk worth taking."

Wilhelm exited the feed, Jacob taking his place. "Any idea on how to coerce the Avenger?" he demanded.

"No, but the seed has been planted. We need only give it time."

"Excelent. I expect superb results."

* * *

><p>Gealach glowered at the White Fang, hate hidden under his mask. His grip on Mhean Oiche tightened. The massive blade separated and compacted, magnetic coils warming as the weapon shifted into railgun form, a bird shaped projectile locked in place. Humming resonated from the magnetic cannon. The charged scent of ozone filled the air.<p>

Abden drew Tageslicht, immediately telescoping the spear to full length. _KER-CHACK! _A bullet slid into the chamber. Lysandi curved through the air in blade form, a wicked grin spreading across Morgun's face. Meri readied Imera and Phos, the small blade clicking and whirring as it transformed into sub-machine gun form.

Ruby drew Crescent rose, extending the sniper-scythe to full size. Blake readied Gambol Shroud, cleaver sheath in one hand, katana in the other. Clicking and heat erupted from Yang as she extended and cocked the Ember Celica. Red replaced lilac.

The two Paladin mecha trained their myriad weapons on the sestet. Red laser sights washed over the teams, refusing to settle on a single target. The twenty-odd White Fang grunts readied a motley assortment of blades and guns. A heavily muscled man with a full face mask and carrying a massive chainsaw whispered to another fully masked man toting a pair of wakizashis before stepping into a hallway and disappearing.

The man with the twin wakazashis stepped forward. He wore a long white coat, the bottom coming to just below his knees. Black pants and a black long sleeve shirt covered him underneath, and light grey boots clicked with each step. A pair of curling horns erupted from shaggy black hair. Most unnerving to the two teams was the mask, fashioned to resemble a grinning skull with sharpened teeth. The two wakizashi meshed with the barrels of clip fed lever action shotguns.

The grunts charged ahead of the Paladins. Shots rang out as the two teams unleashed hell on the White Fang, foot soldiers dropping like stones. _Whiiiiiiiiir- CLANG! _The air rippled as Gealach's shot pushed through the mob as if it were empty space. The projectile flew straight and true at the high-ranking swordsman, though it never reached him. With one fluid slash, the halves of the steel crow crashed into the ground on either side of the commander.

Ruby sprang into action, Crescent Rose carving swathes through the throng of masked Faunus. A daring fighter attempted to ambush the brunette only to suffer Yang's wrath. The blonde brawler punched him in the face, shattering the mask and sending him flying, dazed and possibly concussed. The two sisters weaved in a deadly dance honed by years together.

Blake carved up a trio of fighters, Gambol Shroud flashing and slicing. The cleaver sheath and katana made short work of the first grunt. His machete fell to pieces in his hand moments before he himself careened into his partner. Kicking off of a clone, Blake rushed behind the third as he raised his autopistols. The black themed huntress kicked off of the man, leaping back at him off another clone moments later. Transforming Gambol shroud to pistol-whip form, she wound the ribbon around her target, pulling hard to send him crashing into a crate.

Abden and Morgun stood back to back, no less than seven thugs around them. "Three for you and four for me?" Abden chuckled with a wink.

"Other way around there pretty boy," the bear faunus growled. Her ears twitched in anticipation.

The ring tightened around the duo. On a silent cue, both lashed out. Abden twirled Tageslicht, the weapon changing to spear form, the blade severing the barrel of an unfortunate grunt's rifle. Spinning the polearm faster, the flame eyed teen created a bubble around himself in which no one could enter safely. His two remaining attackers leaped above the whirling spear. Abden shifted the trajectory until the blunt end of the spear landed firmly in the closest attackers groin. The second received similar treatment with the sharp end.

"Well, I guess those two won't be having kids," Abden smirked.

Morgun glared at the four men around her. Slashing the closest assailant with Lysandi, she charged at the quartet, a fearsome war cry spilling from her lips. The closest grunt blocked Morgun's axe with his machete, causing the blade to concave. A shotgun blast to the chest sent him flying. The remaining three jumped the blonde from behind. Morgun spun and swung at the same time, Lysandi switching to sword form mid swing, knocking all three men into one another. They landed in a heap, the two on top standing while the third groaned about a broken spine.

Morgun eyed the duo warily, circling so as to avoid being pinned between them. Fed up with the infinite dance, she charged again, Lysandi curving towards the first grunt. The blade crashed into his gut, launching him. The second swung a fire axe at Morgun. She reversed the momentum Lysandi built up, sending it into the second grunt's ribs, throwing him towards the roof. His jacket caught on a loose beam as his weapon clattered on the ground.

Meri glanced at the three men surrounding her. A vision appeared, in which the man in front of her slashed her across the chest while she glanced over her shoulder. Raising Phos immediately, the fighter's weapon collided with the shield. Meri unloaded Imera into the man's abdomen. Fire blossomed across his torso as he fell backwards, rolling and screaming. The other four regarded the pink haired gladiator with caution.

A second vision came to Meri, this one of the four remaining fighters attacking at once. She leaped to avoid the leg and hip slashes, flipped over the attack to her ribs, and blocked the decapitating move upon landing. The four grunts stared in shock until she burned half of them before transforming Imera into sword form.

The third vision held a much simpler strategy. The two grunts charged her, grabbed her wrists, and pinned her against a crate. At the vision's end she rolled backwards under the grasping limbs. Kicking out while slashing in the other direction, Meri tripped both grunts. They slammed headfirst into the very crate they were going to pin the sakura haired girl against, unconscious before they hit the ground.

The two Paladins stomped forward, analyzing the sestet. One targeted each team.

The Paladin fighting team Gamma activated ranged mode, it's arms becoming massive cannons. Gealach responded similarily, Mhean Oiche transforming back into a claymore. Morgun, Abden, and Meri stood next to him. The Paladin balanced itself, cannons beginning to glow orange.

"Look out," Meri cried. All four hunters leaped backwards. Seconds later, a blast from the Paladin obliterated the ground they had stood on previously. Steam rolled from the barrels, accompanied by the gut-wrenching smell of gunpowder.

Gealach lunged forward, Mhean Oiche held in a two handed grip. He slashed relentlessly at the mech's ankles. The machine stepped back, destabilized by the assault. The masked warrior pressed the advantage, his tied back feathers waving with each stroke. The mech abruptly stomped on him.

Abden roared in uncharacteristic rage after seeing his partner, leader, and friend get stepped on by the Paladin. His eyes frosted over. He slammed the blunt end of Tageslicht into the ground and pushed himself up, firing the rifle for the added lift. His pole vault landed him on the cockpit of the Paladin, within which he could see a White Fang soldier commandeering the machine.

The frozen eyed spear wielder stabbed at the glass. Tageslicht dug in, but couldn't break through the panes. The mech spun and bobbed, dislodging Tageslicht, and thus Abden. He slammed into a crate, denting the metal and falling to the ground.

Morgun and Meri charged at the metal behemoth. Meri predicted another stomp, allowing her to roll out of the way and slash at the servos. Morgun chopped at an arm, removing several fingers. The Paladin punched her. Morgun collapsed under the metal fist, but not before throwing Lysandi at it's shoulder, jamming the arm.

Meri ducked under a sweep of the Paladin's arm, slashing upwards at the wrist. The mech's arm shifted into a cannon. Pointed directly at Meri. The vision came in time, but her reaction didn't. _BOOM! _The golden eyed girl lay at the bottom of a smoking crater, covered in soot.

Throughout all of this, the Paladin did not move the foot holding Gealach in place. The pilot shifted this foot in an attempt to gain a favourable view of team Ruby. Instead, he got a favourable view of the ceiling as Gealach stood, throwing the mech with both hands. He stalked over as the machine attempted to stand with only one arm to support itself with. The feathered warrior jumped onto the cockpit.

Cocking a fist with Realta, Gealach punched through the bulletproof glass. He grabbed the pilot's shirt and slammed the man against the frame repeatedly until his forehead bled. Dropping the unconscious White Fang soldier, Gealach turned in time to watch Ruby bisect the other Paladin horizontally whilst Yang pulverized the cockpit. Blake stood back and watched the destruction.

The feathered warrior woke each of his companions, handing an aura booster to each. They downed the drinks in a single gulp.

The skull faced commander clapped dramatically. "Well done, well done," he taunted. "I suppose you're here looking for the Schnee?" He drew both shotgun wakizashis. "She's in the back, but if you want to find her you have to get past me."

"I suppose there's a catch," Gealach growled.

"Indeed there is," the commander concluded. "Cliche, but someone here has a score to settle with the Schnee. He's currently refueling his chainsaw."

"Why you-"

Gealach was cut off by Abden. "Why don't you go on ahead? We'll take care of this asshat."

"Sound plan."

The raven faunus ran past the skull faced commander. The latter made to slash Gealach, but Tageslicht intercepted the twin blades.

"Ah ah ah," Abden chided. "I dunno about the pretty girls, but I'm your opponent."

"Hmph, as if I'd let you fight on your own," Morgun grinned. "Not only would you be taking all the fun, you would probably die too!"

"Now is not a good time you two," Meri noted. "Save it for later."

The commander glared at the trio. "You have the audacity to bicker after challenging me?"

Abden replied not with words, but with a downward slash of Tageslicht. Skullface blocked the attack with ease before firing into Abden's exposed chest. The flame eyed teen flew backwards.

Morgun charged, hate in her eyes, anger driving Lysandi forward in axe form. Again, the wild swing was blocked with ease. the bear faunus dodged to the side, avoiding the shotgun blast. She then blocked a slash with Lysandi's haft. A second shotgun blast followed, knocking Morgun off her feet.

Meri circled behind Skullface as he and Morgun dueled. As he pumped a round into the latter, Meri leaper forward, Imera held high, Phos held in front of her in blade form. The commander rolled away from the attack. He lashed out with a series of furious blows, all of which were blocked or dodged thanks to Meri's semblance. The two entered a weaving, twisting, fast paced battle. No hits connected on either side.

Abden stood shakily, blood leaking from a scrape along his ribs. While his aura had stopped the majority of the damage, one round still broke through. The flame eyed teen ran towards the deadly dance of Skullface and Meri, in which the former rapidly gained the upper hand. Abden pole vaulted once more, the momentum carrying himself far above the duo. Gritting his teeth at the pain below his shoulder, he swung Tageslicht downwards, the blade connecting with Skullface's shoulder and biting into the flesh.

The commander let out an unearthly howl as Tageslicht dug into his shoulder. Meri shield bashed Skullface, stunning him. Morgun ran up behind and grabbed his neck in a bear hug, strangling the man until he passed out.

"Well now what do we do with him?" Morgun chuckled.

Abden yanked a cable out of the nearest Paladin corpse. "Tie him up, duh. Ain't you ever watched Cops and Robbers?"

Meri sat down facing the door Gealach had disappeared through. "Are you really copying a cheesy Scrollnet series?"

"Why not?" he laughed.

Gealach slammed through the doors into a short hallway. At the end, through another metal door, the distinct sound of a chainsaw starting up rumbled. The raven haired faunus charged forward.

Inside, the chainsaw wielding lieutenant readied his weapon. Weiss sat tied to a chair, a cloth sack over her head. Gealach punched through the door, startling the White Fang lieutenant into swinging wide. A chop originally aimed at Weiss bit into the floor instead. The two masked men glared at one another.

"Step off birdie," the lieutenant growled. "This girl hates our kind."

"As a matter of fact," Gealach snarled. "She's a friend of mine."

No more words passed between the two. The lieutenant swung his chainsaw wide. The rotating chain sparked as Gealach intercepted it with Mhean Oiche. The latter punched the former, Realta crashing into the lieutenant's mask, cracking the steel. The chainsaw wielder skidded backwards.

When he looked up, Gealach's aura manifested into obsidian avian wings on his back. The claymore wielder chopped at the lieutenant with Mhean Oiche. Rolling out of the way, the latter swiped his chainsaw at the hunter in training's ankles. The masked teen leaped over the whirling chain.

The White Fang lieutenant rose to his intimidating full height. Undaunted, Gealach rushed forward. In his shock, the lieutenant could do nothing as the raven feathered teen grabbed the man by his face. He then unwittingly gave the masked man a taste of his own medicine as he slammed the back of his head into the ground.

Gealach sheathed Mhean Oiche as he ran over to Weiss. Ripping the cloth off of her head revealed the mess the proud girl had been left in. Her disheveled hair fell in matted, tangled snarls. Streaks left behind by recent tears smeared her face. Her frosty blue eyes retained their sparkle even as the light deprived girl blinked at the sudden harsh glow.

"Can't believe it took this long to get to you," Gealach apologized as he unwound the ropes.

"I cannot thank you enough for finding me when you did," Weiss replied.

"Then don't. C'mon, let's go home."

Gealach made to pick Weiss up, but the heiress refused. "Thank you, but I'll walk."

After two shaky steps, she collapsed.

Gealach sighed. "Fine, but I'm going to help." He lifted the small girl to her feet, then held onto her with his right hand. The two slowly marched towards the door.

Behind him, the White Fang lieutenant rose to his feet, chainsaw in hand. "Just die," he roared as he slashed at Weiss.

"Look out!' Gealach cried. He pushed Weiss in front of him, spinning around to block the whirling chain with his heavily armoured left arm.

The chainsaw sparked along the metal, scraping off Realta to collide with the ground. Gealach punched the lieutenant in the face once more. The blow knocked the masked man off his feet, sending his chainsaw to the far side of the room. Gealach straddled his chest. The ebony feathered warrior rained punches on the man's head, each hit driving him further into the ground. Gealach's wings folded against his back as he pounded the man below him.

"I think that's enough," he grimaced as he stood. "C'mon Weiss, let's get back to Beacon."

Despite her earlier complaints, Gealach scooped Weiss into a bridal carry.

"I said I would walk," she complained.

"I changed my mind," Gealach reasoned. "Save your energy and just sleep."

As hard as she tried otherwise, the white haired heiress found herself asleep minutes later.

Gealach stepped out into the main warehouse, his relief hidden under expressionless steel. The remaining six members of the rescue team fell in behind.

Amongst the bruised, beaten, and unconscious White Fang soldiers, one stirred. He crawled towards the back, unaware that the commanders had also fallen. The realization hit like a tonne of bricks when the anonymous fighter looked up.

Gealach stepped over the masked man's head, steel booted foot landing squarely in the middle of his back instead. The White Fang soldier let out a whimper at the weight on his spine, followed by passing out when Gealach lifted his other foot. The masked raven faunus stepped off the unconscious man without acknowledging his presence.

Outside, the raven faunus shifted Weiss so she sat comfortably in his left arm, gauntleted hand under her thighs. He pulled his scroll out of his pocket. A few button presses and a short video chat with Ozpin later and a Bullhead was en route to pick them up.

Abden glanced over at Gealach. "Dude, why are you holding onto Weiss's ass?"

"Well how else am I supposed to hold her and a Scroll at the same time," Gealach argued, silently thanking the expressionless mask for hiding his fiery blush.

* * *

><p><strong>Hey guys, hope you enjoyed this chapter! I sure as hell enjoyed writing it! Unlike last chapter… freaking writer's block.<strong>

**For a while here, I was indecisive about Gealach. Namely, his left arm. I had been contemplating have the White Fang lieutenant cut it off, but that would be a bad choice on my part. So he continues his streak of zero amputations throughout life.**

**The wakizashi/lever action shotguns was a spur of the moment idea. They were inspired by Ciel's gunblades from Elsword Online. As for the fight, I feel it went well.**

**Yeah, the idea is a little (a lot) cliche. Girl get's kidnapped, main character saves the girl, blah blah blah. I feel it works better with the White Fang and Weiss.**

**Anyways, thanks for reading, follow, review, you know the drill. Until next time.**


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